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!

Just wanted to add another tip for anyone dealing with this - when you do request your waiting week payment, have all your documentation ready! I had to provide pay stubs showing my gross earnings, and they asked for the exact dates I worked. Also, if you're like me and started your new job mid-week, make sure you understand how TWC counts partial weeks toward that 2x requirement. It can get confusing if your pay periods don't align perfectly with their benefit weeks. The whole process took about 2 weeks from when I requested it to when I actually received the payment, so don't expect it immediately. But definitely worth pursuing - it's money you're entitled to!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to jump in as someone who's currently navigating this same situation. I've been reading through all these responses and they're incredibly helpful - way more clear than anything I found on the TWC website! I'm at about $800 in gross earnings at my new job, so getting close to that $1,050 threshold. One question I haven't seen addressed: if I switch jobs again before claiming my waiting week (hypothetically), does that reset the requirement or can I still claim it as long as I've earned the 2x amount total across different employers? Also, has anyone used the TWC mobile app to request this, or is it better to call? Thanks for all the detailed explanations - this thread should honestly be pinned somewhere!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation - just started a new job after 8 weeks on unemployment and was totally confused about this waiting week thing. My WBA was $475, so I need to earn $950 before I can claim it. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key points are: 1) Track GROSS earnings, not take-home pay, 2) Keep all pay stubs as documentation, 3) You have to actively request the payment - it's not automatic, and 4) Be prepared for a 2-week processing time. One thing I'm wondering about - does anyone know if overtime hours count toward that 2x requirement? I've been picking up some OT shifts and want to make sure I'm calculating correctly. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is way more useful than the TWC website!

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!

Just wanted to share my recent experience with this process! I was in the exact same boat about 2 months ago - totally confused about the waiting week and that 2x earnings rule. After reading through all these helpful responses, I can confirm that everything people have shared here is spot on. My WBA was $520, so I needed to earn $1,040 gross. What really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track my gross earnings from each paycheck - made it super easy to see when I hit that threshold. I ended up earning $1,150 total before requesting my waiting week payment. One tip I'd add: when you do call to request it, have your most recent pay stub in front of you too. They didn't ask me for it during the call, but having those numbers readily available made me feel more confident answering their questions about my return-to-work date and total earnings. The whole process from request to payment took exactly 12 business days for me. And honestly, even though it's frustrating how confusing TWC makes everything, that waiting week payment felt like a nice little bonus when it finally hit my account! Definitely worth the effort to claim it once you qualify. Good luck with your new job and claiming that payment when you hit $1,050!

I went through this exact same process about 6 months ago and can definitely relate to the confusion! The TWC website really doesn't explain it clearly at all. Just wanted to add a couple things that helped me: First, I kept a running notes app on my phone where I tracked my gross pay from each paycheck - super simple but it helped me know exactly when I hit that 2x threshold without having to dig through pay stubs every time. Second, when I finally called to request my waiting week payment, the rep actually told me something interesting - apparently a lot of people miss out on this payment entirely because they either don't know about it or forget to claim it after they qualify. She said I was smart to follow up on it since it's basically free money you're entitled to. The timing worked out to be about 2 weeks from request to deposit for me too, just like others have mentioned. One last tip - if you're having trouble getting through on the phone, I found that Tuesday and Wednesday mornings around 9 AM seemed to have shorter wait times than Mondays or Fridays. Sounds like you're asking all the right questions though! Once you hit that $1,050 gross earnings, you should be all set to make the request. Good luck with the new job!

This thread has been absolutely incredible - thank you all for breaking down something that TWC makes way more complicated than it needs to be! I'm actually in a slightly different situation that might help others: I had a part-time job while on unemployment, then got hired full-time at a different company. I was worried about how they'd calculate the 2x earnings requirement with income from two different sources during my claim period. When I called TWC to ask about this (took me 8 tries to get through!), they confirmed that ALL wages earned since your claim began count toward that 2x threshold - doesn't matter if it's from one employer or multiple employers, part-time or full-time, regular hours or overtime. They just want to see that you've earned at least twice your WBA in total gross wages. My WBA was $445, so I needed $890 total. Between my part-time earnings while on unemployment and my new full-time job, I hit that threshold pretty quickly. The key thing they emphasized was keeping documentation from ALL employers - pay stubs, wage statements, anything showing gross earnings. One more tip: if you're like me and had multiple income sources, organize your pay stubs by date when you call. It made the conversation much smoother when the rep asked about my earnings timeline. Hope this helps anyone else dealing with a similar situation!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm currently dealing with this exact situation and was completely lost until reading everyone's experiences. I've been at my new job for about 3 weeks now and just hit $980 in gross earnings with a WBA of $498, so I need $996 total. Should be there with my next paycheck! One question I haven't seen addressed - does anyone know if holiday pay or PTO that gets paid out counts toward the 2x requirement? My employer gave me a small holiday bonus that showed up as separate line item on my pay stub, and I'm wondering if that helps me reach the threshold faster or if it has to be regular wages only. Also wanted to say how frustrating it is that TWC doesn't explain any of this clearly. I spent hours on their website trying to figure out what "2x your unemployment" meant before finding this conversation. You all have been more helpful than any official resource! Planning to use that early morning calling strategy once I hit my threshold - fingers crossed I can get through on the first try.

This entire thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation - been at my new job for about 5 weeks now after 7 weeks on unemployment. My WBA was $465, so I need to earn $930 gross before I can claim my waiting week. I'm at about $850 right now, so almost there! Reading through everyone's experiences, I feel so much more prepared now. I've started tracking my gross earnings in a simple note on my phone like someone suggested, and I've got all my pay stubs organized and ready. The tip about calling right at 8 AM on weekdays is gold - I was trying to call in the afternoons and getting nowhere. One thing I'm curious about that I didn't see mentioned - for those who successfully claimed their waiting week payment, did TWC send any kind of confirmation or notification that the request was processed? Or do you just have to wait and see if the deposit shows up in your account after those 10-12 business days? Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences. This thread should honestly be the first result when you Google "TWC waiting week 2x requirement" because it's clearer than anything on their official site!

This thread has been absolutely amazing! I'm a newcomer to this whole TWC process and was completely overwhelmed trying to figure out the waiting week requirements. I just started my new job last week after being on unemployment for about 5 weeks, and I had no idea about this 2x earnings rule until I stumbled across this conversation. My WBA was $385, so I need to earn $770 gross before I can claim my waiting week. I'm only at about $200 so far since I just started, but reading everyone's detailed experiences has given me such a clear roadmap for what to expect. The tips about tracking gross earnings (not take-home pay!), keeping all pay stubs organized, and calling right at 8 AM are incredibly valuable. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and will come back to update once I go through the process myself. It's honestly shocking how much clearer this conversation is compared to anything on the official TWC website. Thank you all for taking the time to share your real experiences - it's going to save me (and probably lots of other people) so much confusion and stress down the road!