Do I still request the waiting week if it's my final TWC payment with no job yet?

Yes, you absolutely should request your waiting week payment! The waiting week is the first payable week of your claim that TWC initially holds back. You become eligible to receive that week after you've received 3 times your weekly benefit amount AND either return to full-time work or exhaust your benefits. Since you're exhausting your benefits, you qualify to receive it now. Make sure to request it just like a normal payment request - same process, same work search requirements. Don't leave that money on the table!

just went thru this last month. u definitely need to request it!! its YOUR money they been holding. do exactly what u normally do for payment request. system knows its ur waiting week.

When I exhausted my benefits in January, I was so confused about this too! The TWC system is NOT user-friendly at all. Yes, request your waiting week payment just like any other payment. BUT be prepared that it might take a little longer to process than your regular payments did. Mine took about 10 days instead of the usual 2-3 days. Make sure you've completed all your work search activities too - I had to report 3 per week in my county.

WRONG INFO ABOVE!!!! You only get waiting week if you go back to WORK for at least 4 weeks!!!! TWC keeps that money if you don't find a job!!!!

I recommend trying to contact TWC directly about this since everyone is saying something different. I tried for 3 days to get through using the regular number but kept getting busy signals or disconnected. Then I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to a TWC agent in about 20 minutes. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh. The agent confirmed I was eligible for my waiting week since I was exhausting benefits, and they actually helped process it while on the call. Saved me a ton of stress.

When I exhausted my benefits last September, I absolutely received my waiting week payment without returning to work. The key is that you must have received benefits equal to 3 times your weekly benefit amount (which happens pretty quickly) AND either returned to work OR exhausted benefits. Since you're exhausting benefits, you qualify. Make your payment request as usual, but be aware that your waiting week payment might be slightly different than your regular benefit amount because it's not eligible for any federal supplements (though those aren't active now anyway). Also, they will withhold taxes if you opted for tax withholding on your regular benefits.

This whole system is such a joke. They hold onto our money for the entire claim period and then make it confusing to get it back. Classic TWC bureaucracy. I exhausted my benefits in March and had to follow up THREE TIMES to get my waiting week. The agents kept giving different information every time I called. What a nightmare.

Update: I submitted my final payment request including the waiting week yesterday through the online portal. The system didn't look any different than usual, but I made sure to complete all my work search activities. Crossing my fingers it processes correctly! Thanks everyone for your help.

Good job! Just to set expectations - it typically takes 2-3 business days for regular payment processing, but as someone mentioned earlier, the waiting week might take a bit longer. If you don't see it pending in your account after 7-10 business days, that's when I'd recommend following up. Hope it comes through quickly for you!

Just wanted to add my experience to help clarify - I exhausted my benefits in December and successfully received my waiting week payment. The process was exactly as others described: submit your regular payment request through the portal or Tele-Serv, maintain your work search requirements, and the system automatically recognizes it's your waiting week. Mine took about 5 business days to process, which was slightly longer than my regular payments. The amount was my full weekly benefit amount with taxes withheld as usual. Don't let the confusing TWC website discourage you - you've earned that money and you're entitled to it when exhausting benefits. Best of luck with your job search!

Just wanted to share my recent experience to help clear up any confusion - I exhausted my benefits in February and successfully received my waiting week payment. The key points that worked for me: 1) Submit your regular payment request exactly like you normally would through the online portal, 2) Make sure you complete all required work search activities for your county, and 3) Be patient as it may take 5-7 business days instead of the usual 2-3 days. The system automatically knows it's your waiting week when you're exhausting benefits - no special forms or additional steps needed. You definitely qualify since you're exhausting your benefits, so don't let anyone tell you otherwise. That waiting week payment can be a lifeline while you continue your job search. Hang in there!

I'm in the exact same boat - exhausting my benefits next week and still job hunting. This thread has been incredibly helpful! From what everyone's shared, it sounds like the process is straightforward: just submit your regular payment request and the system handles the waiting week automatically. I'm feeling much more confident now about requesting it. The timing info from people who recently went through this is especially valuable - knowing it might take 5-7 days instead of the usual 2-3 helps set realistic expectations. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially the detailed breakdowns. It's amazing how much clearer this community makes things compared to the TWC website! Wishing everyone continued success in their job searches.

I just want to echo what others have said - you absolutely should request your waiting week payment! I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and was so confused by the TWC website too. The good news is that when you're exhausting your benefits, you automatically qualify for that waiting week payment they've been holding. Just submit your payment request exactly like you normally would - same portal, same process, same work search requirements. The system will recognize that you're eligible for the waiting week. Mine took about a week to process instead of the usual few days, but it came through at the full weekly benefit amount. Don't stress too much about it - you've earned that money and TWC owes it to you. Keep up with your job search and that payment should help bridge the gap until you find something. Hang in there!

I just wanted to add one more perspective to help confirm what others have shared - I exhausted my benefits in October and successfully received my waiting week payment without any issues. The process was exactly as described: submit your regular payment request through the online portal, complete your work search activities as usual, and wait for processing. Mine took about 6 business days, which was longer than my typical 2-3 day regular payments, but it came through at the full weekly benefit amount with the same tax withholding I had selected. The TWC system automatically recognizes when you're exhausting benefits and releases that held waiting week payment. You've definitely earned it, so don't hesitate to request it! Also wanted to mention that even though your regular benefits are ending, don't forget to keep applying for jobs and networking - sometimes opportunities come through right when you least expect them. Best of luck with both your waiting week payment and your continued job search!

I'm also approaching the end of my benefits in a few weeks and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Reading everyone's experiences has really clarified the process for me. It sounds like the key points are: 1) Submit your regular payment request just like normal, 2) Keep up with work search requirements, 3) Be patient as it may take 5-7 business days instead of 2-3, and 4) The system automatically knows when you're exhausting benefits and releases the waiting week. I was worried there might be some special form or extra step, but it's reassuring to hear from so many people who went through the exact same process successfully. The waiting week payment can really make a difference when you're transitioning between benefits ending and hopefully finding new employment. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is so much more helpful than trying to navigate the TWC website alone!

I'm currently in week 24 of my claim and getting close to exhausting benefits too. This whole thread has been so reassuring! I was really worried about the waiting week situation since the TWC website just mentions it briefly without explaining the exhausting benefits scenario clearly. It's amazing how much more helpful real experiences from community members are compared to official documentation. From everything I've read here, it sounds like the process is straightforward - just submit your regular payment request and the system handles the waiting week automatically when you're exhausting benefits. The 5-7 business day processing time seems consistent across everyone's experiences. Really appreciate all of you who took the time to share your stories - it's making this stressful time much more manageable knowing what to expect!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in week 22 of my claim and have been absolutely panicking about the waiting week situation. The TWC website is so confusing about this - it barely mentions what happens when you exhaust benefits. Reading through everyone's real experiences has been such a lifesaver! It sounds like the process is much simpler than I feared: just submit the regular payment request and let the system automatically handle the waiting week when you're exhausting benefits. The consistent 5-7 business day processing timeline from everyone's stories is really helpful to know too. I've been losing sleep over this, worried I might miss out on that money, but now I feel so much more prepared. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing and so much more helpful than trying to figure things out from official TWC resources alone!

I just wanted to share my recent experience to hopefully help others in this situation. I exhausted my benefits two weeks ago and was in the exact same position as you - super confused about the waiting week and whether I'd actually get it. After reading through various forums and finally getting through to a TWC agent, I can confirm that YES, you absolutely should request your waiting week payment when exhausting benefits. The process is exactly what everyone here has described: submit your regular payment request through the portal just like you normally would, complete your work search requirements, and the system automatically recognizes that you're eligible for the waiting week. Mine took 6 business days to process (longer than the usual 2-3 days for regular payments) but it came through at the full weekly benefit amount with the same tax withholding I had selected. Don't let the confusing TWC website discourage you - you've earned that money and it's rightfully yours when you exhaust benefits. Keep your chin up with the job search too - I know how tough it is out there right now!