This is such a common issue with gig work reporting - I went through something similar with Grubhub earnings last year. The TWC's instructions really aren't clear about how to handle these small irregular gig payments, and they definitely don't explain that there's no minimum threshold for reporting. I see you already filed your appeal and got through to TWC via Claimyr - that's great! One thing I'd add based on my experience: when you get to your hearing, make sure to emphasize not just that you misunderstood the rules, but also that your Lyft driving was sporadic and unpredictable (sounds like you only did it when desperate for cash). This helps show it wasn't a consistent income source you were trying to hide. Also, if you haven't already, request a waiver application for the overpayment based on financial hardship. Even if your appeal only partially succeeds, the waiver can sometimes cover the remaining balance if you can show that repaying would cause serious financial difficulties. The fact that you've already spent the money on basic necessities like rent should work in your favor. Keep us posted on how your hearing goes - there are clearly a lot of people in similar situations who could benefit from hearing about your experience!

I went through almost the exact same situation with Instacart last year - got hit with a $4,800 overpayment notice for not reporting about $75-100/week in earnings. I was absolutely panicking because like you, I genuinely didn't know I needed to report such small amounts from gig work. The good news is I successfully appealed and got the fraud designation completely removed! Here's what worked for me: I gathered every single payment record from Instacart showing the exact dates and amounts, wrote a detailed appeal letter explaining that I misunderstood the reporting requirements (not trying to defraud), and emphasized that this was my first time ever filing for unemployment. At my hearing, the officer was actually pretty understanding once I showed all my documentation and explained that I immediately started reporting correctly once I learned the rules. They recalculated my benefits as partial payments instead of a complete denial, which reduced my overpayment from $4,800 to about $2,100. Then I applied for a hardship waiver and got about half of that forgiven too. The whole process took about 3 months from appeal to final resolution, but it was absolutely worth fighting. Don't give up - honest mistakes like this are more common than you think and TWC does show leniency when you can prove it wasn't intentional fraud. You've got this!

This is such a widespread issue with TWC's system! I went through the exact same thing last year. The automated line kept telling me to call back for weeks after my benefits had actually run out. What's really frustrating is that they have all this information in their system - your remaining balance, exhaustion date, etc. - but the phone system just isn't programmed to communicate it properly. One thing I learned: if you ever need to reapply for benefits in the future (after the required waiting period), make sure to keep checking your online account regularly rather than relying on the phone prompts. The online portal is usually much more accurate and up-to-date. Also, save any correspondence they send you about benefit exhaustion - it can be helpful documentation if you need to reference your claim history later. Good luck with your job search! At least now you know where you stand and can focus your energy on finding new opportunities instead of navigating TWC's confusing system.

I'm dealing with this exact same confusion right now! My benefits should have ended last week based on my calculations, but when I called the automated line yesterday, it told me to call back this weekend for another payment request. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like the phone system is just poorly designed and doesn't sync up with the actual benefit status. I'm going to check my online account right now like everyone suggested. It's so frustrating that TWC makes this process more confusing than it needs to be. You'd think after 26 weeks they could at least program the system to say "your benefits have been exhausted" instead of continuing to prompt for payment requests! Thanks for posting this question - it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one scratching my head over TWC's mixed signals.

I'm currently going through a similar situation and wanted to share what I've learned about timing. If you haven't received your first payment yet, you might still have time to set up the payment plan before they automatically start taking 100%. In my case, I called TWC the day after I got my determination letter (before my first payment request date) and was able to get a 40% recovery rate set up. The key is acting fast - once that first payment processes at 100% recovery, it becomes much harder to get them to adjust it retroactively. Also, keep detailed records of all your communications with TWC agents including dates, times, and what was discussed. This has been helpful when I've had to call back to clarify things about my payment plan.

Just want to echo what others have said about acting quickly - I went through this same situation about 8 months ago with a $1,200 overpayment from 2022. The difference between calling TWC immediately versus waiting even a few days can literally mean the difference between getting some money to live on versus having $0 for weeks. I was able to negotiate down to a 35% recovery rate by showing them my monthly budget breakdown and explaining that I'm a single parent with childcare costs. One thing I didn't see mentioned here is that you should also ask about the appeals process for the original overpayment determination if you think there was an error - sometimes the overpayment amount itself is wrong and you can get it reduced or eliminated entirely through an appeal, even if it's from a previous year.

Reading through everyone's experiences here has been really helpful - I'm in a similar boat with my benefits about to run out soon. One thing I wanted to add that saved me some stress: if you're worried about your final payment timing, you can actually see your exact remaining benefit amount in your TWC account dashboard. It breaks down your weekly benefit amount, how much you've already received, and what's left. This helped me plan better instead of just guessing when I'd hit zero. Also, for anyone dealing with the phone situation - I found that calling TWC right when they open (8 AM) on Tuesdays or Wednesdays gives you the best chance of getting through without using a service. Mondays and Fridays are absolutely brutal. The automated system will tell you if they're too busy before putting you on hold, so you're not wasting hours waiting for nothing. Stay strong everyone - this process is tough but there are definitely more resources available than TWC makes obvious on their website!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! My benefits are down to about $600 with 2 months left on my claim period. I had no idea about most of these resources and strategies everyone has shared. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service to get through to TWC, and I'm already looking into that Earnings Disregard rule for some freelance work I was avoiding. The tip about applying for SNAP and other assistance programs NOW while I still have some income coming in is so smart - I was planning to wait until I was completely broke but that would obviously be way harder. Also going to call 211 tomorrow to see what's available in my area. It's frustrating that TWC doesn't explain any of this clearly, but I'm grateful for everyone here sharing their real experiences. This community is providing way better guidance than the official website! Question for anyone who's been through this - when you did gig work using the Earnings Disregard, did TWC ever question the irregular income amounts or was the reporting process pretty straightforward?

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just got approved on Friday and they're sending me a paper check because I switched my payment method from direct deposit to the debit card during my waiting period. I'm in Lakeway (west Austin area), so it's really comforting to see so many people from our metro area sharing their experiences. The tip about checking for both "Processing Date" and "Payment Sent" date is incredibly helpful - I just logged into my account and found that same 2-day gap everyone's been mentioning! Based on all the real experiences shared here, it sounds like 7-10 business days is much more realistic than the vague "5-7 days" timeline TWC keeps giving everyone. Already signed up for USPS Informed Delivery after reading all these recommendations - what a smart way to reduce the anxiety of constantly checking the mailbox! And I'm definitely calling my credit union tomorrow about hardship programs. I had no idea banks might waive overdraft fees during unemployment situations. This whole paper check default system is so frustrating when people are already stressed about finances, but reading everyone's actual timelines gives me way more confidence than anything TWC told me. Thanks for starting this thread Hannah - it's been such a relief to see so many of us in the Austin area dealing with the identical situation and getting real answers from people who've been through it!

I'm in the exact same situation right now! Just got my approval yesterday and they're sending me a paper check because I switched from direct deposit to the debit card option during my waiting period. I'm in Buda (just south of Austin), so hopefully the mail timing will be similar to what everyone else in the area is experiencing. This thread has been incredibly helpful - way more informative than the vague "5-7 business days" I got from TWC! The tip about checking for both "Processing Date" and "Payment Sent" date is huge - I just found that same 2-day gap in my account that everyone's mentioning. Already signing up for USPS Informed Delivery based on all these recommendations - such a smart way to track it instead of anxiously checking my mailbox every few hours! And definitely calling my bank tomorrow about those hardship programs. Never knew they might work with people during unemployment. Based on everyone's real experiences here, 7-10 business days sounds way more realistic for our area. This whole paper check default system is so unnecessarily stressful when we're already dealing with financial anxiety, but at least this thread gives actual expectations from people who've been through it. Thanks so much Hannah for asking this question - it's been such a relief to see so many of us in the Austin metro area going through the identical situation!