I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago. After my ID.me verification cleared, TWC automatically included all my held weeks in one payment that came about a week later than my normal payment date. The total amount was correct for all the weeks I had missed. One tip - screenshot your payment request history showing all those "held" weeks now, just in case there are any discrepancies later. Also, don't panic if the first payment you see isn't the full amount - sometimes they split it into multiple deposits. Keep checking your TWC correspondence inbox too, they'll send you a breakdown of exactly what weeks were paid. Good luck!

I'm going through this same situation right now! Just finished my ID.me verification last week and still waiting. Reading through all these responses is really helpful - sounds like most people do get their backpay but the timing varies a lot. I'm going to follow the advice about screenshotting my payment history and checking my correspondence inbox regularly. It's frustrating how unclear TWC is about these processes, but at least this community helps fill in the gaps! Hoping we both see our payments soon 🤞

Hang in there! I know the waiting is incredibly stressful when you're running low on funds. Based on what others have shared, 4 weeks is still within the normal timeframe, though I totally understand your frustration. Since you mentioned you got the acknowledgment letter, that's good - you're definitely in the system. The key things to focus on now are: 1) Keep requesting payments every two weeks (even though you're not getting paid yet), 2) Document your work search activities thoroughly, and 3) gather any evidence that supports your case about the layoff vs. misconduct. The fact that your employer is claiming misconduct when you were actually laid off due to restructuring should work in your favor. Do you have any emails, documents, or witnesses that can back up your version of events? Having that ready will be important when your hearing gets scheduled. Stay strong - appeals do take time but many people win when they have the facts on their side like you seem to!

I just went through this same situation in January! Filed my appeal on January 15th after being denied for "misconduct" (I was actually terminated during a company downsizing), and my hearing was scheduled exactly 7 weeks later. The waiting is absolutely brutal, especially when you're watching your savings disappear. A few things that helped me: First, like others said, DEFINITELY keep requesting payments every two weeks - I almost made that mistake too but caught it just in time. Second, start organizing your evidence now while you wait. I created a simple folder with my termination letter, any emails about the company changes, and contact info for potential witnesses. The good news is that employers often don't show up to hearings or don't prepare well. In my case, my former employer's HR rep couldn't provide any specific examples of the "misconduct" they claimed, while I had clear documentation of the department closure. The hearing was only about 45 minutes and I won. One tip: when your hearing gets scheduled, they usually give you the option of phone or video. I chose phone because I was less nervous that way, but either works. The judges are actually pretty fair and will ask you direct questions about what happened. Hang in there - 4 weeks feels like forever but you're still in the normal timeframe. Keep documenting everything and stay hopeful!

Wow, reading through all this has me fired up on your behalf! The employer's story changing mid-hearing from "quit" to "job abandonment" is absolutely ridiculous - how does a hearing officer not catch that as a major red flag?? Your timeline is crystal clear: you had a legitimate medical emergency (bleeding from surgical site), told them you needed to leave for medical reasons, and they IMMEDIATELY cut your access and demanded company property back. That's textbook termination, not quitting! I've been through the TWC appeals process twice and the Commission Appeal is definitely your best shot. They tend to be more thorough than the initial hearing officers. Make sure you emphasize in your appeal that the employer's contradictory testimony shows they're not being truthful about the circumstances. The fact that you have recordings, emails about the NDA/keys, and proof of access revocation puts you in a much stronger position than most people. Don't let this employer get away with changing their story just to avoid paying unemployment benefits. Fight this all the way - you've got the evidence to win!

This whole situation is absolutely maddening! I've been following TWC cases for years and what you're describing - the employer changing their story mid-hearing from "quit" to "job abandonment" - should have been a huge red flag to the hearing officer. The timeline you've laid out is textbook wrongful termination disguised as voluntary separation. You left for a legitimate medical emergency (bleeding from your surgical site!), and they IMMEDIATELY revoked your email access and demanded company property back. No employer does that for someone who "voluntarily quit" - that's standard termination protocol. I really hope you file that Commission Appeal within the 14-day window. The Commission reviewers are typically more thorough than the initial hearing officers and they specifically look for inconsistencies in employer testimony. Make sure to emphasize how the employer's story completely changed during the hearing - that's going to be a major credibility issue for them. Your evidence sounds rock solid - the emails about keys/NDA, proof of immediate access revocation, medical documentation, and especially that recording. The Commission needs to see this case because it's exactly the type of situation where an employer is trying to manipulate the system to avoid paying rightful benefits. Don't give up - you've got a strong case and the documentation to back it up!

Thanks everyone for all this helpful information! I'm feeling a bit more prepared now. I'll wait until the 18th to file, but I'll start getting all my documentation together. And I'll make sure to request payments even while waiting for approval, and to set up direct deposit. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly!

Just wanted to add - keep copies of EVERYTHING. Print out your layoff notice, save screenshots of your TWC application confirmation, and keep records of all your work search activities. I learned this the hard way when TWC asked me to provide documentation months later and I had to scramble to find everything. Also, if you get any correspondence from TWC (letters, emails, etc.), respond quickly. They have strict deadlines and missing one can really mess up your claim. You sound like you're being smart about preparing ahead of time!

Yes, TWC has a really helpful guide on their website under "Reporting Work and Earnings" that breaks down exactly how to calculate gross earnings for each payment request period. It includes examples for different scenarios like varying hours, tips, commissions, etc. The key thing to remember is that you report earnings based on the Sunday-Saturday weeks that TWC uses for payment requests, regardless of your employer's pay schedule. So if you work Monday-Wednesday one week and Thursday-Friday the next week, you'd split those earnings between two different payment requests based on which TWC week they fall into. I also found it helpful to set up a simple system: every Sunday I review the previous week's hours and calculate my gross pay for that exact 7-day period. Then when I do my payment request, I just reference my weekly notes. It takes like 5 minutes but saves so much stress later. You're being really smart about wanting to get this right from the start. The people who run into trouble are usually the ones who either don't report at all or just guess at their earnings instead of calculating carefully.

I've been through this exact situation and want to share what helped me avoid any issues. The most important thing is understanding that TWC uses a Sunday-to-Saturday week for reporting, which might not match your employer's pay schedule. Here's my simple system that's worked perfectly for 8 months now: 1. Every Sunday, I calculate the gross earnings for the previous 7 days (Sun-Sat) 2. I keep a small notebook with daily hours and a running total for each TWC week 3. When doing payment requests, I use ONLY the earnings from that specific reporting period 4. I screenshot every payment request confirmation and save pay stubs The key insight is that TWC's quarterly cross-check looks for discrepancies between what you reported and what your employer reported for the same time periods. As long as these match, you're golden. One thing that tripped me up initially: if you work Monday-Wednesday in one TWC week and Thursday-Friday in the next TWC week, you need to split those earnings between two separate payment requests based on when the work was actually performed, not when you got paid. Keep doing what you're doing by reporting accurately, and definitely start that documentation system now. You'll sleep much better knowing everything is properly tracked!