Confused about TWC 'hold back week' requirement - what does '2x your unemployment' mean?

congrats on the new job! pretty sure the 'hold back week' is the waiting week they dont pay u until u qualify for benefits and then u can claim it after u earn enough. the 2x thing means u gotta earn twice ur WBA total at ur new job before they release that payment. atleast thats what happened to me last year

Thanks! So I'd need to earn $1,050 total at my new job before I can get that first week paid out? How do they verify this - do I need to submit pay stubs or something?

The 'waiting week' or 'hold back week' is the first payable week of your claim that TWC doesn't pay immediately. You're eligible to receive payment for this week after:\n\n1. You've received benefits for at least 3 weeks, AND\n2. You've earned wages equal to or greater than 2 times your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA)\n\nSo yes, with a WBA of $525, you would need to earn at least $1,050 in wages (not unemployment benefits) after returning to work. Once you meet these requirements, you can request payment for that week by calling TWC or through your online portal.

This is really helpful! I've definitely received benefits for more than 3 weeks, so I just need to hit that earnings threshold. Will TWC automatically notify me when I'm eligible to claim it?

When I went through this last year, I had to actively request the waiting week payment after meeting the requirements - it wasn't automatic. And yes, they may verify your earnings, so keep your pay stubs. You'll report your earnings when you request your waiting week payment through your TWC account or by calling Tele-Serv at 800-558-8321. \n\nIf you're having trouble reaching someone at TWC to help with this, I'd recommend Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get through to a TWC agent in about 20 minutes when I was trying to sort out my waiting week payment. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh

does claimyr really work? ive been trying to get thru to twc for 2 weeks about my appeal and just get busy signals

I HATE how TWC makes everything so complicated! I went through this same confusion last month. The system is deliberately set up to make it hard to get what you're owed. I had to call TWELVE TIMES before getting through to someone who could explain this clearly, and then they made me wait another 3 weeks after I qualified before paying my waiting week. It's ridiculous!!! \n\nAnd FYI - they definitely do check your earnings, so don't try to claim that week until you've actually earned the 2x amount or they might flag your account for fraud investigation.

totally agree the whole system is a mess. took me over a month to get my waiting week paid out last year and by then i almost forgot about it

I was confused about this too! Here's what helped me understand it: the waiting week is basically TWC holding your first week of benefits hostage until you prove you're back on your feet with a new job. The 2x WBA requirement is their way of saying

That makes sense! I'll look for that option in my account. I've earned about $900 so far at my new job, so I'm getting close to the threshold. Just wanted to understand how it all works before I hit the 2x amount. Thanks for explaining it this way!

Just to clarify one thing - when you do qualify and request your waiting week payment, you'll still need to report any earnings for that specific week. The 2x WBA requirement is about your total earnings since returning to work, but for the actual waiting week payment, they'll deduct any earnings you had during that particular week according to their partial unemployment formula.

Oh, so if I had any part-time hours during that first week, they would reduce the payment? That makes this even more complicated! I did work a few hours during what would have been my waiting week.

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.

As someone who just went through this process a few months ago, I can confirm what others have said - you need to earn at least $1,050 total at your new job before you can claim that waiting week. But here's something that caught me off guard: make sure you keep track of your gross earnings, not net pay! TWC looks at your total wages before taxes and deductions. I made the mistake of calculating based on my take-home pay at first and thought I hadn't hit the threshold yet. Also, once you do qualify, don't wait too long to request it - I've heard stories of people forgetting and then having issues later. The whole system could definitely be more user-friendly!

This whole thread has been a lifesaver! I've been stressing about this waiting week thing for weeks now. Just to add my experience - I hit my 2x threshold last month ($1,100 needed, earned $1,250 gross) and called to request my waiting week payment. The TWC rep was actually pretty helpful once I got through, but like others mentioned, getting through is the real challenge. One thing I learned that might help others: they asked me to verify my Social Security number, claim number, and the exact amount of my WBA before processing the request. They also wanted to know the date I returned to work. The whole call took about 15 minutes once connected, and I got the payment deposited exactly 10 business days later. For anyone still trying to get through to TWC - I had the best luck calling right at 8:00 AM on weekdays. Set multiple alarms and be ready to dial the second they open! And definitely keep calling that Claimyr service others mentioned if the regular lines aren't working. This waiting week payment is money you've earned, so don't give up on claiming it!