I'm in a very similar boat - filed on June 30th after being laid off and it's been over 2 weeks with the same issue. My TWC account only shows my expired claim from early 2023, and when I call the automated line I get the "pending employer response" message. What's really frustrating is that I can't even tell if my new claim was properly submitted since there's no trace of it anywhere in my account. I've been keeping up with work search requirements and plan to do my payment request this Sunday even though I can only see the old claim. This thread has been super helpful - at least now I know this is a widespread system issue and not something I did wrong during the application process. Really hoping both of our claims get sorted out soon because rent is due next week!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my claim on July 3rd after getting laid off and it's been almost 2 weeks with zero updates. My TWC account only shows my old claim from 2022 that expired ages ago. The automated system keeps telling me my claim is "pending employer response" whenever I call. I've been so stressed thinking I somehow messed up my application or that it got lost in the system somewhere. Reading through all these comments is actually such a relief - I had no idea this was such a common issue with their system! I'm definitely going to keep doing my payment requests even though I can only see the expired claim, and I think I'll try calling right at 7:00am tomorrow morning to see if I can actually get through to a real person. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with this broken system!

Congratulations on the new job! This is such a great question and I'm glad you asked before any issues came up. I actually had almost the exact same situation about 8 months ago - completed all my onboarding and paperwork 2 weeks before my actual start date. I was so nervous about reporting it wrong to TWC! What I learned is that you're absolutely right to wait until June 18th to report employment. The onboarding stuff doesn't count as "work" for TWC purposes. I kept filing my payment requests right up until my first actual day of work, and everything went smoothly. The waiting week processed automatically about 3 weeks after I reported returning to full-time work. One thing I'd suggest is taking a photo of your first day's timesheet or clock-in - it's just nice to have that documentation showing your actual work start date. You're being really smart about this and asking all the right questions upfront!

Congrats on the new job! I went through this exact situation about a year ago and was just as confused about the timing. You're absolutely doing the right thing by asking upfront - it shows you're being responsible about following TWC rules. Just to echo what everyone else has said, you definitely want to keep claiming benefits until June 18th (your actual first day of work) and answer "no" to any questions about working during that time. The onboarding paperwork is just administrative stuff, not actual employment. When you start working on June 18th, that's when you'll report it on your next payment request. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple folder (physical or digital) with all my documentation - offer letter, onboarding completion confirmations, first timesheet, etc. Having everything organized made me feel much more confident about the whole process. The waiting week did process automatically for me, but it took about 2-3 weeks after I reported returning to work. You're handling this perfectly by getting informed ahead of time!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My wage statement is missing my last employer where I worked for 8 months as a warehouse supervisor. It's showing an old retail job from 2+ years ago instead. My calculated benefit amount is way too low - only $189/week when I was making decent money at the warehouse job. I've been trying to call TWC for the past week but can barely get through. When I do get in the queue, I get disconnected after waiting an hour+. It's so frustrating because I know my benefit amount should be much higher with the correct wages. For those who successfully got their wage investigations completed - did you have to provide anything besides paystubs? I have all my paystubs saved but wondering if I need other documentation like my final pay statement or employment verification letter. Also, did anyone have issues with TWC not accepting digital copies of paystubs, or is uploading through the portal usually fine? Really hoping to get this resolved soon because the current benefit amount isn't even covering half my monthly expenses. Thanks for sharing your experiences - it helps to know I'm not the only one dealing with this!

I'm going through this exact same issue right now! My wage statement is completely missing my most recent employer where I worked for over a year, and instead it's showing some random part-time job from way back. My calculated weekly benefit is only $203 when I know it should be much higher based on my actual recent wages. I've been trying to call TWC for days but like everyone else, I keep getting stuck in endless hold queues or getting disconnected. It's incredibly frustrating when you know you're entitled to more benefits but can't get through to anyone to fix it. Reading through all these comments is actually really reassuring though - sounds like this is more common than I thought and everyone who's persistent eventually gets it resolved. I'm definitely going to try that early morning calling strategy that several people mentioned. And I'll make sure to have all my paystubs and employment documentation ready to upload through the portal. One question for those who've been through this - did your benefit payments continue at the lower (incorrect) rate while the wage investigation was processing? I'm worried about missing payments entirely if I mess something up in this process. Thanks for sharing all your experiences - it really helps to know there's light at the end of the tunnel!

I just wanted to jump in and share something that might help with your job search in medical billing - have you looked into remote positions with companies like Anthem, UnitedHealth Group, or smaller medical billing companies that have gone fully remote since COVID? I work in healthcare administration and I've noticed a lot more remote medical billing positions opening up, especially for people with your experience. Sites like FlexJobs and Remote.co often have medical billing roles that don't get posted on the regular job boards. Also, temp agencies like Robert Half and Adecco have been placing a lot of medical billing specialists in temp-to-perm positions lately. The key is highlighting any EHR systems you've worked with (Epic, Cerner, etc.) and any specific medical specialties you've billed for. Those details can really make your application stand out. Don't give up - your skills are definitely in demand, it's just about finding the right opportunity!

Just wanted to share some good news that might give you hope - I was in your exact situation back in November 2024 and got automatically approved for Extended Benefits about 10 days after my regular UI exhausted. I never had to call TWC at all, just kept checking my correspondence inbox like others mentioned. The key thing that helped me was staying consistent with my work search activities during that waiting period. When I did get approved, they asked for verification of my job search efforts for the gap weeks, and since I had kept detailed records, I got retroactive payments for that whole period. Also wanted to mention - I ended up finding work through a medical billing company that specifically hires people with unemployment gaps. They actually preferred candidates who had been laid off because it meant they weren't job-hopping. The healthcare industry is really understanding about employment gaps right now. Don't let the stress get to you too much - you've got a solid plan and this community has your back!

I've been following this thread closely because I'm dealing with the exact same issue! Based on everyone's experiences here, I just wanted to add a few things that worked for me when I finally got through last week: 1. The timing really does matter - I had success calling at 7:52am (even earlier than the 7:55 suggestion) and hitting redial every 10-15 seconds until I got past the busy signal 2. Once you get into the automated system, write down the exact sequence: 1 for English, then 3 for payment issues, then 0 for representative - don't hesitate or you might get kicked back to the main menu 3. If you get the "all representatives are busy" message, DON'T hang up immediately. Sometimes if you wait 30-45 seconds, it will suddenly connect you to the hold queue The Spanish language trick is legit - I used it as my backup plan and it worked within 20 minutes when the English line failed. Most reps are bilingual and happy to switch languages. Also want to echo what others said about hidden account issues. Mine was stuck because of a "wage verification" problem that never appeared anywhere in my online account. The rep fixed it in 5 minutes once I finally got through. Stay persistent everyone - the system is broken but it's not impossible to crack!

I've been lurking on this thread because I'm dealing with the EXACT same nightmare! I've been trying to reach TWC for over 2 weeks about my pending payment and it's been absolutely impossible. Reading through everyone's strategies here has been incredibly helpful - it's like a survival guide for the TWC phone system! I'm planning to combine several approaches mentioned here: - Starting calls at 7:50am (going even earlier based on the success stories) - Using the Spanish option trick (press 2) as my primary strategy since multiple people have had quick success with bilingual reps - Having the exact sequence ready: 1-3-0 for payment issues - Trying the 0# rapid pressing technique if I get stuck in the automated system What really opened my eyes is how many of you discovered hidden issues (employer contests, verification problems, wage issues) that weren't visible in the online portal at all. That explains SO much about why payments just sit in "pending" status with zero explanation! I'm also going to email ui.ombudsmen@twc.texas.gov and look up my state rep's office as backup options. This thread has given me more actionable strategies than weeks of searching online. Thanks everyone for sharing what actually worked instead of just generic advice - you're all lifesavers! 🙏 Wish me luck tomorrow morning - I'll report back with results!