Hello everyone, my name is William Steele and I’m a 60-year-old IT Specialist that recently lost my job at a large Telecommunication Company because the company starting downsizing early 2024 due to decreased revenues. This unfortunate event has put me in a dire strait situation as I did not receive any severance pay from the company after being employed by them for over 6 years.
I did apply for unemployment benefits from the TX Workforce Commission (TWC) and was deemed eligible for unemployment pay but when I requested my first payment it was rejected. The TWC stated in their decision letter the following reason “you did not perform your work to the employer’s standards although you had previously demonstrated you were capable of doing adequate work. I have since requested an appeal to try and over turn this decision, because I followed the defined company standards the whole time I was employed by that company. I have also recently received an update on my appeal request from TWC that stated “Your appeal has been processed and your case is being scheduled for a hearing. We are experiencing a large volume of hearing requests and we will schedule your hearing as soon as possible. You will receive written notice of the hearing date and time through the U S Mail when your hearing is scheduled”. I have not yet received that written appeal hearing in the mail.
This response from TWC is very concerning as my current funds are limited and have a possibility of being exhausted before my appeal hearing is even scheduled. My only hope is to either receive funds from generous people reading this post or obtaining employment before running out of money.
I am actively seeking employment and willing to accept an offer that will allow me to maintain my current household budget or a lesser amount on a temporary basis. I had to withdrawal all of my retirement funds so I can pay rent, utility bills, car insurance, medical bills, and credit card bills. But those retirement funds are running out as the months progress. The money I currently have in the bank is all the money I have to my name.
To help alleviate some bill payments I have enrolled into a debit relief program to consolidate a high interest personal loan and most of my credit card bills. Making this difficult decision does help with the stress of worrying about making timely payment on debit, but will add to future issues when trying to obtain employment, rental applications, loans, and credit cards.
I am 2 years away from retirement and have researched out to family members not for money, but for a place to live temporarily if my situation worsens in the near future. The reason I did not ask my older siblings for money is because they all are retired and are barely making ends meet on their social security benefits. I’m glad that both my parents are not live to see the unfortunate situation I find myself in today.
To help make it through these rough times I’m hoping this message finds charitable people that can give whatever they can to help me get back on my financial feet. I’m not looking for a hand out but a helping hand up. My goal is to receive enough money to terminate my current apartment lease and pay for moving expenses. Estimated cost around $10,000. If I receive enough funds, I will be moving back to the east coast where I will be closer to family that can support my living situation temporarily. Moving back to the east coast will also greatly increase my chances of finding employment in my career field.