Just to add to the good advice already shared - I called TWC about a similar situation last year. The representative confirmed that 401K withdrawals don't count as earned income for unemployment purposes. However, make sure you're prepared for tax season next year - depending on how much you withdrew, it could bump you into a higher tax bracket. Also, if the 401K withdrawal was substantial, it might affect other income-based benefits you receive (like SNAP or healthcare subsidies), even though it doesn't affect your unemployment benefits.

I'm confused...so we don't report 401k withdrawals on payment requests? What about severance pay? My company gave me severance when they laid me off last month but I haven't received the check yet. Do I report that?

did u try the chat thing on the website??? sometimes its faster than calling

Once you get this resolved, I recommend setting calendar reminders for your future request days. The TWC does send email reminders, but they sometimes go to spam or arrive late. Set reminders for both days of your request period every two weeks to avoid this happening again. And don't worry too much - the TWC representatives deal with this exact situation constantly. As long as you contact them within a reasonable timeframe (ideally within 2-3 weeks of missing your request period), they can usually backdate your request with no issues.

update?????? did he talk to HR yet?

He had his meeting with HR yesterday. They seemed concerned and said they'd

I had to do my ID.me verification about 2 months ago and there were definitely multiple steps involved. After creating your account, you need to specifically go through the identity verification process which is different. Don't worry though! Just log back in and look for the verification steps. Have your driver's license or passport ready, and be prepared to take a selfie with your phone or computer camera. The whole process took me about 15 minutes once I found the right section. One tip: make sure you're using a device with a good camera for the facial recognition part. I tried on my old phone first and it kept failing, but worked fine on my laptop.

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to complete the full ID.me verification? If you're still having issues, remember that you can also check your claim status on the TWC Tele-Serv system at 800-558-8321. Sometimes the phone system will give you more specific information about what's holding up your claim than the website does.

my brother in law works for twc and he says most people forget to claim their waiting week cuz nobody explains it right. basically its free money once you hit that earning amount but you HAVE to request it or theyll never pay it out. its like a little savings account they keep until you get back on your feet lol

This is an important point. TWC won't automatically pay it - you must request it once eligible. According to TWC's website, you have 3 years from the start of your original claim to request this payment, but obviously better to do it sooner than later.

wait do u still work at the same place that cut ur hours or did u get a different part time job? cuz that might matter for how twc sees it

One more important thing: When you appeal, mention that you're suffering 'partial unemployment' as defined by TWC rules. That's the official term they use for reduced hours situations. According to TWC guidelines, if you're earning less than 125% of your weekly benefit amount, you can receive partial benefits. Also, save any documentation showing your previous work schedule compared to your current one. This will be valuable evidence for your appeal. Email communications about the reduction, old vs. new schedules, and pay stubs showing the difference can all help your case. Once approved, you'll need to report your earnings each time you request payment. TWC will calculate your partial benefit amount using their formula. Good luck with your appeal!

Yes, that's exactly what it means. If your weekly benefit amount was $300, you'd need to earn $1,800 at a new job before regaining eligibility. This is Texas's way of ensuring people don't immediately return to unemployment after being fired for misconduct. It's meant to be a significant hurdle. But again, this only applies if TWC determines you were fired for misconduct. Based on what you've described (missing only 2 days with proper call-ins), you may have a good case that this wasn't misconduct. Just make sure you clearly explain the circumstances of each absence during your TWC interview.

Absolutely save those text messages! Any documentation showing you followed proper procedures for reporting absences will be extremely valuable. Take screenshots and be prepared to submit them if requested. Also, if you have any performance reviews or feedback from your time there that was positive, have that ready too. Sometimes employers will retroactively claim performance issues to justify a termination, so evidence of good performance can counter that. One last thing - check your employee handbook if you have it. If their attendance policy specifically outlines a warning system that they didn't follow before firing you, that's another point in your favor.

I HATE the TWC phone system with a passion!!!! Been on unemployment twice in 3 years and BOTH times had major issues. The whole system is designed to make you give up I swear!!!!

UPDATE: I finally got this resolved! I used Claimyr to get through to TWC (took about 30 minutes instead of endless redials). The agent explained that when I filled out my initial claim, I had checked a box asking if I had any work restrictions, and I had put "none" but somehow their system flagged it as a medical issue. The agent removed the medical flag immediately and reset my claim status to active. She said my payment requests were in the system and should now process within 2-3 business days. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for the advice. If anyone else runs into this "medically unable to work" error message when you're perfectly fine, definitely get through to a live person - the automated system can't fix this particular issue.

Just to follow up on that earnings reduction - Texas uses a formula where they deduct approximately 75-80% of your reported earnings from your weekly benefit amount. So if you reported $175, they'd reduce your benefit by around $131-140, which matches what you experienced. This is normal and should only affect the week where you reported earnings. Your next payment request should go back to the full amount if you don't report additional earnings.

Correct! The reduction only applies to weeks where you report earnings. Each payment request is calculated independently, so your benefit amount will return to normal for weeks where you don't report income. Just make sure you continue to meet your work search requirements (minimum 3 activities per week) for each payment request.

make sure ur claiming on the right day!! i missed my day once and had to wait a whole extra week

Just to add some clarity to what others have mentioned: 1) Your first payment is typically for one week due to the waiting week provision (first eligible week isn't paid immediately) 2) Future payments will be for two weeks if you request on your assigned date (1/25 in your case) 3) Payment typically arrives 2-3 business days after your request is processed 4) Make sure you're completing at least 3 qualified work search activities each week 5) Keep documentation of all work search activities for at least a year (TWC can audit you) 6) If your payment status ever shows "pending" for more than 5 business days, that's when you should call TWC to check for issues Hope this helps, and congrats on getting your first payment so quickly!