Can I file for summer unemployment with an old TWC overpayment debt?

yea u can still file they'll just take some of ur benefits to pay back what u owe. i was in same boat last yr, they took like 25% of each payment til the old debt was covered. better than nothing tho right?

You can absolutely file a new claim while having an outstanding overpayment. TWC will generally recoup the overpayment by withholding a percentage of your new benefits (usually between 25-50%, depending on the circumstances of your original overpayment). Since you work for a contracted school service, make sure you select "School Employee" when asked about your employment type during the application. There are special rules for school employees, but since you're working for a contractor rather than directly for the school, you should qualify as long as you don't have "reasonable assurance" of returning to work after the break. Also, be prepared to complete your three required work searches each week, even though you expect to return to your job when school starts again. TWC doesn't waive this requirement for seasonal layoffs.

I HATE how TWC handles school contractor situations! Last year my sister-in-law was in the exact same situation and they initially DENIED her claim saying she had "reasonable assurance" of returning to work even though she wasn't directly employed by the school!!! Had to appeal and wait FIVE WEEKS before getting any money. The system is designed to make you give up! And yes, they'll take money from your new claim to pay the old debt. They took 50% from my sister-in-law's payments which was totally unfair since she had kids to feed. Good luck getting through to anyone on the phone to negotiate a lower percentage too - IMPOSSIBLE to reach anyone!!!

I think you'll be OK filing, but TWC might take more than 25% like someone mentioned. When I had an overpayment from 2022, they took 50% of each payment until my debt was paid. Just be prepared for that possibility. BTW, does anyone know if summer school positions count as suitable work for people in your situation? I'm wondering if turning down summer school work (if it's offered) would affect the claim?

When I had trouble with a similar situation last year (seasonal work + previous overpayment), I wasted WEEKS trying to get through to TWC on the phone. Busy signals, disconnections, automated messages saying call volume too high. Super frustrating. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual TWC agent in about 20 minutes. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh The agent was able to tell me exactly how much would be deducted from my benefits to repay the overpayment AND helped me understand how to properly document my seasonal work situation. Saved me so much stress.

Regarding your overpayment: You should know that how much they recoup depends on whether your previous overpayment was classified as fraud or non-fraud. For non-fraud overpayments (honest mistakes), they typically take 25-30%. For fraud-classified overpayments, they can take up to 100% until it's paid off. You can check which type you have by logging into your TWC account and looking at the determination letter for the overpayment. If it doesn't mention fraud, you're likely in the non-fraud category. Also, since you work for a contractor rather than directly for the school, make sure your employer reports your separation correctly as a "temporary layoff" rather than a "school employee with reasonable assurance of return." This distinction is crucial for summer unemployment eligibility.

i had something similar happen when i was working for a school cafeteria company! filed in summer and got approved but then TWC sent me a letter saying i wasnt eligible and had to pay everything back! found out later my boss checked the wrong box about me having "reasonable assurance" of going back in fall. make sure ur boss fills out their paperwork right!!!

Thanks everyone for all the advice and sharing your experiences! I called my HR department today and they confirmed they'll be reporting our summer break as a temporary layoff, and they provided me documentation showing I'm employed by the contractor, not directly by the school. I also checked my TWC account and confirmed my previous overpayment was classified as non-fraud, so hopefully they'll only take 25-30% of my benefits. I'm going to file my claim tomorrow and make sure I select all the right options regarding my school contractor status. I'll update this thread once I find out if my claim is approved and how they handle the overpayment situation. Fingers crossed!