Remember too tht if u do the contract they'll stop your benefits for any week u report income over your weekly benefit amount plus $25. So if ur UI is like $500/week and u earn $526 in contract work that week u get ZERO benefits!! But at least ur claim stays open for when contract ends.

I'm in a similar boat right now - got laid off two weeks ago and my employer offered me freelance work to wrap up some projects. After reading through all these responses, I think the consensus is pretty clear: file for unemployment IMMEDIATELY after your last W-2 day, then take the contract if you want it. What really helped me understand this was realizing that TWC calculates your benefit amount based on your earnings history in specific quarters, not your most recent work. So if you file now, your benefits are calculated on your full-time salary quarters. If you wait and file later, you might end up with contract work affecting those calculations. The weekly reporting thing makes total sense too - you're basically trading some weeks of benefits for contract income, but keeping your claim alive so you don't have to start over. Way better than risking a lower benefit calculation later. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is going to save me from making a costly mistake!

Congratulations on getting approved! $520/week is a solid benefit amount. Just wanted to add that while you're waiting for your first payment, make sure you're keeping detailed records of all your work search activities - not just the applications but also the date, company name, position, and method of contact. TWC can audit your work search log at any time and you'll need to provide specifics if they ask. Also, don't forget that networking events, job fairs, and even informational interviews can count toward your 3 weekly activities. Good luck with your job search!

Just went through this same exact situation last month! That determination letter is SO confusing - they really need to make it clearer for people. But sounds like you're all set with that $520 weekly amount showing up. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier is to set up direct deposit if you haven't already - it speeds up getting your payments once they start processing. You can do it through your TWC account online. Also, if you're in a bigger city, check if your local workforce center offers any free resume workshops or job search seminars - those count toward your work search requirements and can actually be pretty helpful. The waiting is the worst part but hang in there!

This whole thread is exactly what I needed to see! I'm actually going through a very similar situation right now - the TWC website has been giving me error messages for the past two days when I try to make my overpayment. Reading through everyone's solutions and seeing QuantumQuest's successful resolution gives me so much relief. I'm definitely going to try the local Workforce office route tomorrow morning since that seems to be the most reliable option. It's honestly ridiculous that their website fails so consistently when people are trying to meet deadlines, but at least this community has figured out the workarounds. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this is going to save me so much stress and potentially money in late fees!

This entire thread should be pinned as a resource! I've been lurking in this community for months and this is hands down the most helpful discussion I've seen about dealing with TWC's broken payment system. The step-by-step solutions everyone provided - from documenting errors with screenshots to the direct phone number for overpayment collections to the local office backup plan - this is like a complete troubleshooting guide. QuantumQuest, thanks for following up with your success story too! It really shows that persistence and knowing your options can get you through even when TWC's system fails you. I'm saving this thread for future reference and sharing it with friends who are dealing with unemployment issues. You all are lifesavers! 🙏

This is absolutely maddening and I feel for everyone going through this! I just want to add another data point - I went through this verification nightmare in April and what ultimately worked for me was a combination of persistence and knowing the right things to ask for. After reading similar threads here, I called every single day at exactly 7:00am for a week straight using the callback request. On day 6, I finally got a call back around 2pm. The key things I asked for (thanks to advice from this community) were: 1) Transfer to Identity Verification department, 2) Check if my docs were in the "ID Verification Special Processing Queue," and 3) Add an expedite flag to my claim. The agent confirmed my documents were received but sitting in regular processing (which she said could take 3-4 weeks). She moved them to the special queue and added the expedite flag. I was approved 2 days later and got all my backpay. One tip I haven't seen mentioned - if you have to leave a voicemail during the callback process, mention your claim number AND say "identity verification urgent" at the beginning. The agent told me certain keywords help prioritize callbacks. Don't give up! The system is definitely designed to wear you down, but if you keep pushing and use the right terminology, you can get through it.

I'm going through this EXACT same thing right now and it's incredibly frustrating! Filed my claim 2 weeks ago, got the "ineligible" determination 3 days ago with no prior warning about needing ID verification. Just like you, I only found out what documents they needed after getting that determination letter. I uploaded my driver's license and a bank statement immediately, but my status still shows ineligible and there's been zero confirmation they received anything. Reading through all these comments has been both helpful and terrifying - the fact that the document portal might be broken or just sits in an unmonitored queue is really concerning. I've been doing the callback request every morning at 7am for the past 3 days with no luck, but I'm going to keep trying. Based on what everyone's shared here, I'm also going to start requesting payments even though it says I'm ineligible - I had no idea that was the right thing to do! This whole system really does feel intentionally designed to make people give up. But reading everyone's success stories gives me hope that if I stick with it and use the right terminology (like asking for the "ID Verification Special Processing Queue"), I can get through this. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community is a lifesaver!

wait i just realized something - r u talking about direct deposit to ur bank or loading on the actual twc debit card? cuz those r different. the debit card is always slower than direct deposit to ur regular bank

I've been dealing with the same confusion! What really helped me understand was tracking my payment requests more carefully. I started writing down the exact day/time I submitted and when it actually hit my card. Turns out mine is super consistent - always exactly 48 hours from when I submit, no matter what day of the week. The people claiming same-day deposits might be thinking about when TWC shows "payment issued" in their account vs when it actually appears on the card. There's definitely a difference between those two things! Or like others said, they might just be mixing up their dates when posting on social media. Your 2-day timeline sounds totally normal from everything I've experienced and heard from others. At least it's predictable so you can budget around it!