I'm in the exact same situation right now! Filed my claim about 12 days ago after being laid off due to company restructuring, and my WBA ($428) just appeared yesterday. Like everyone else here, I was initially hopeful it meant approval, but my status still shows "under review." This thread has been absolutely incredible - I had no clue that seeing your WBA was just part of the process and not actual approval! Reading everyone's experiences has really helped calm my nerves about the waiting. I also just got the dreaded ID.me verification requirement this morning, so I'll be working through that based on all the great advice shared here. The stress about rent and bills is so overwhelming while waiting! I've probably checked my portal 20+ times today alone hoping for any change. It's such a relief knowing that's totally normal and that company restructuring should be a qualifying reason once they finish verifying everything. Planning to do my first payment request Thursday even though I'm still under review, and I've been keeping detailed records of my work searches. Amina, thank you so much for asking this question - you've helped create such a supportive community for all of us going through this anxiety-inducing process! Really hoping we all get our approval letters soon! 🤞

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Filed my claim about 8 days ago after being laid off due to workforce reduction, and my WBA ($392) just showed up on my portal yesterday. Like so many others here, I initially thought seeing the benefit amount meant automatic approval, but then noticed my status still says "under review." This entire thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea this was normal TWC procedure! It's really reassuring to read about so many people with legitimate layoffs who eventually got approved after going through the same process. I also just received the ID.me verification requirement this morning, so I'll be working through that this weekend based on all the helpful tips shared here. The financial stress while waiting is so intense, especially with bills coming due! I've been checking my portal constantly throughout the day hoping for updates. It's comforting to know that's completely normal and that workforce reduction should qualify as a valid separation reason once they complete all their verification steps. I'm planning to submit my first payment request next Tuesday even though I'm still under review, and I've been documenting all my work search activities just to be prepared. Thanks Amina for posting this question - you've created such an incredible support community that's helping so many of us understand this confusing and nerve-wracking process! Hoping we all get our approval letters soon! 🤞

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Got locked out after the maintenance and now stuck with that dreaded "late filing status" message. I've been calling that 800-939-6631 number all morning with zero luck - just keeps saying they can't take calls. Reading through all these responses is actually really helpful though. Sounds like this is a widespread problem from the system maintenance glitch. I'm going to try that Claimyr service that a few people mentioned, and maybe contact my state rep's office as backup. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and solutions here. It's frustrating enough dealing with TWC without feeling like you're the only one going through this nightmare!

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Got hit with the "late filing status" after that system maintenance disaster and I've been calling that 800 number non-stop for two days. It's beyond frustrating when you're already stressed about money and then you can't even reach a human being to fix their own system error. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like we have a few solid options to try: 1. The Claimyr callback service (multiple success stories here!) 2. Contacting our state representative's office 3. Visiting a Workforce Solutions office in person 4. Waiting for their "batch fix" in 2-3 days (though who knows if that'll actually happen) I'm definitely going to try Claimyr tomorrow morning since so many people here have had success with it. It's ridiculous that we have to use a third-party service to reach our own state unemployment office, but at this point I'll take whatever works. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - this thread is a lifesaver for those of us stuck in TWC hell right now!

Just want to add another potential solution for anyone still having this issue - if you're using a custom domain email (like yourname@yourbusiness.com), that might be part of the problem too. I had the same issue with ID.me emails not coming through on my business email, but they worked fine when I switched to a mainstream provider like Gmail or Yahoo. Something about how ID.me's email system interacts with smaller mail servers seems to cause delivery problems. If you absolutely need to use your custom domain email, try reaching out to your email hosting provider - sometimes they can whitelist specific sending domains on their end. But honestly, the path of least resistance is just using Gmail or Yahoo for government stuff like this. Frustrating that we have to jump through these hoops, but at least there are workarounds!

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar ID.me issue right now where I can't get verification emails for my unemployment account. I've been trying for days with no luck. Based on what everyone's shared here, I'm going to try the early morning approach first (setting my alarm for 5am tomorrow), and if that doesn't work, I'll add those ID.me email addresses to my safe senders list since I'm also using Outlook. It's honestly ridiculous that we need to become IT troubleshooters just to access our own benefits, but I'm grateful this community exists to share these workarounds. Will definitely report back if any of these solutions work for me. Thanks everyone for the detailed suggestions!

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who helped! I was able to get in through the backdoor link that @profile1 shared and submit my payment request on time. I also managed to get through to TWC this morning by calling right when they opened (7:00 AM exactly). The agent confirmed there was an issue with how my ID.me account was linked in their system. She said something about "mismatched identity tokens" and had to manually update something on their end. She also mentioned this is happening to a lot of people right now and they're working on a fix. For anyone else having this problem, definitely call TWC directly to get it permanently fixed, but try that backdoor link as a temporary solution if your payment request deadline is approaching!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Been stuck in the ID.me loop for 4 days and my payment request is due tomorrow. I've tried everything - different browsers, clearing cache, incognito mode, you name it. Going to try that backdoor link that @Kevin Bell shared since I'm running out of time. This is so stressful when you're already dealing with unemployment and then the system meant to help you just... doesn't work. Has anyone found out if there's a pattern to when this happens? Like is it related to when you first created your ID.me account or something else?

I'm in week 19 of my claim and this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! I've been losing sleep over this exact waiting week question for weeks now, checking the TWC website over and over hoping to find clear answers that just aren't there. Reading through everyone's real experiences has finally given me the peace of mind I desperately needed. It's so reassuring to see that multiple people have successfully received their waiting week payments simply by submitting their regular payment request when exhausting benefits - no special forms, no extra steps, just the same process we've been doing all along. The consistent 5-7 business day processing timeline that everyone mentions is incredibly helpful information too. I was already mentally preparing to panic if it didn't show up in the usual 2-3 days! This community is honestly a lifeline - the official TWC resources leave so many questions unanswered, especially for these specific situations. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share your experiences, particularly those who recently went through this process. I feel so much more confident now about what to expect when I reach my final payment request in about 7 weeks. It's such a relief to know that waiting week money will be there to help bridge the gap while continuing the job search!

I just wanted to add my voice to confirm what everyone else has shared - you absolutely should request your waiting week payment when exhausting benefits! I went through this exact situation about 3 months ago and was just as confused as you are now. The TWC website really doesn't make this clear at all. Here's what worked for me: I submitted my regular payment request through the online portal exactly like I had been doing for months - same process, same work search requirements, nothing special. The system automatically recognized that I was exhausting my benefits and processed my waiting week payment. It took about 6 business days instead of the usual 2-3, but I received my full weekly benefit amount with the same tax withholding. Don't let anyone tell you that you need to return to work first - that's incorrect information. The TWC policy clearly states you can receive it either by returning to full-time work OR by exhausting your benefits. Since you're exhausting benefits, you definitely qualify. That money has been yours all along, they just hold it during your claim period. Make sure to keep up with your work search activities and be patient with the slightly longer processing time. You've got this, and I hope something comes through on the job front soon!