Can I still get TWC benefits with fluctuating part-time work while searching for another job?
So my situation is kinda complicated. I'm working part time at a warehouse (15-25 hrs/week) but my hours keep changing every week. Some weeks TWC gives me unemployment benefits when I report low hours, other weeks I get nothing when I work more. I'm actively looking for a second part-time job to get more stable income. Will TWC still give me partial benefits during this search? Or will looking for another part-time job (not full-time) disqualify me? I'm confused about how this affects my work search requirements too. Do I still need to do 3 searches even though I already have some work? Any help is super appreciated!
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StarStrider
Yes, you can definitely still receive partial unemployment while working part-time AND looking for another part-time job. This is actually quite common! TWC uses what's called a "partial unemployment" calculation where they deduct 30% of your weekly benefit amount, then subtract your earnings from that week. As long as you earn less than your weekly benefit amount, you'll receive some payment. For example: If your WBA (weekly benefit amount) is $420, TWC doesn't count the first $126 (30% of $420) of your earnings. So you can earn up to $126 and still get your full $420. After that, each dollar reduces your benefit by a dollar. Regarding work search - YES, you still need to complete 3 work search activities each week when requesting payment. Being part-time employed doesn't change that requirement. Make sure you're documenting these properly in your payment requests.
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Isabella Santos
•Thank you so much for explaining this! So even if I find another part-time job, I could potentially still get some benefits as long as my total earnings stay under my WBA? And I definitely need to keep doing those 3 work searches each week... I wasn't consistent with that and maybe that's why some of my payments were denied.
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Ravi Gupta
I went thru this last yr. TWC system is SO confusing with part time work!!! Some weeks u get paid some weeks NOTHING even when ur hours are similar!! Make sure u report EXACTLY what u earned each week not wat u got paid. The week ends Saturday at midnight for TWC. I almost got hit with an overpayment bc I reported wrong!
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Isabella Santos
•Omg yes! It's super confusing trying to figure out which earnings go with which week. I've been reporting based on when I get paid rather than when I actually worked the hours. I need to fix that asap! Thanks for the heads up about the Saturday midnight cutoff - I didn't realize that was their official week end.
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Freya Pedersen
Let me clarify a few things about your situation: 1. You can absolutely receive unemployment while working part-time AND searching for another part-time job. TWC doesn't require you to look for full-time work only. 2. The calculation works like this: TWC subtracts 30% of your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA), then subtracts your gross earnings (before taxes) for that week. Whatever remains is your payment. 3. Work search requirements: Yes, you must complete 3 work search activities EACH week you request payment, even if you already have part-time work. This is a common misunderstanding. 4. Important: Be very careful to report wages for the week you EARNED them, not when you got paid. The TWC week runs Sunday through Saturday. 5. Keep detailed records of all your work searches and hours worked. TWC can audit you up to a year later. Hope this helps clarify things!
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Isabella Santos
•This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I think I've been making the mistake of not doing enough work searches because I thought having a part-time job already meant I didn't need to do as many. And I definitely need to fix how I'm reporting my earnings by week worked versus paid. One last question - do applications for part-time positions count toward the work search requirements?
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Freya Pedersen
•Yes, applications for part-time positions absolutely count toward your work search requirements! Any legitimate job application counts, whether it's for part-time, full-time, or even temporary work. Just make sure you're keeping records of all applications (company name, position, date applied, contact information, etc.) in case TWC asks for verification later. Also, work search activities aren't limited to just applications. They can include submitting resumes, attending job interviews, registering with employment agencies, and participating in TWC-approved training programs. Just make sure you're doing at least 3 activities per week and documenting them properly.
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Omar Hassan
This situation sounds familiar... I was working like 20ish hours at a restaurant last year while on unemployment. TWC actually stopped all my benefits for 3 weeks because they said I wasn't doing enough work searches even though I was already working! Had to call them to fix it and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get through. Spent days just calling and getting busy signals.
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Chloe Anderson
•Getting through to TWC on the phone is a nightmare! I was in the same boat last month and discovered this service called Claimyr that actually got me connected to a TWC agent in about 25 minutes instead of spending days trying. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh. Their website is claimyr.com - seriously saved me so much frustration dealing with my partial unemployment issues. They basically call TWC for you and connect you when they reach an agent.
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Diego Vargas
The system is designed to FAIL US!!! I went through the exact same thing and TWC flagged my account for "inadequate work search" even though I was working 20 hours already! Then they DEMANDED I pay back $2100 in benefits! It took EIGHT WEEKS of appeals to get it resolved. They don't care about part-time workers AT ALL!!!! The entire system is broken!!!!
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StarStrider
•While the system can definitely be frustrating, it's important to understand that the rules are actually designed to help part-time workers. The partial unemployment system allows people to work reduced hours while still receiving some benefits - which isn't available in all states. The work search requirement is there because unemployment is meant to be temporary while you seek full employment. As long as you follow the requirements (report earnings correctly and complete/document 3 work searches per week), you shouldn't have issues with overpayments or appeals.
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CosmicCruiser
heya i work 2 part time jobs and still get unemployment sometimes. just make sure ur reporting both jobs when u do ur payment request thing. also they only care about what u made that week not how many jobs u have
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Isabella Santos
•Thanks for sharing your experience! That's encouraging to hear. Did your work search requirements change once you had the two part-time jobs?
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CosmicCruiser
•nope still had to do the 3 searches every week kinda annoying but whatever lol
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StarStrider
Since no one has mentioned it yet - make sure you're using WorkInTexas.com for at least some of your work searches. TWC prefers this, and it automatically documents your work search activities. Also, any week you earn more than your WBA, you won't receive benefits, but you still need to request payment and report your work searches to keep your claim active. If you don't request payment for three weeks in a row, your claim becomes inactive and you'll need to reapply.
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Isabella Santos
•I didn't know about using WorkInTexas.com for documenting searches - that's a great tip! And I definitely didn't realize I needed to keep requesting payment even during weeks when I know I won't get benefits. That might explain why my claim got messed up last month. Really appreciate this info!
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