Does TWC showing my weekly benefit amount mean I'm approved for unemployment?

Having a Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) calculated is a good sign, but it doesn't necessarily mean your claim is fully approved yet. TWC calculates this based on your wages during the base period as part of the initial processing. Your claim is still under review, which means they're verifying other eligibility factors like the reason for separation from your employer. When you're officially approved, you'll receive a Statement of Benefits letter in the mail AND your online account status will change from "under review" to something like "benefits payable" or similar. You should also start seeing options to request payment if fully approved.

they did the same thing with me last month! gave me the amount but it was another 9 days before i got the full approval. just keep checking your account daily and make sure your answering your phone cause they might call with questions.

OMG just wait till you try calling them if you have ANY issues!! I spent 3 days trying to get through just to ask a simple question about my determination letter. Busy signals for HOURS.

EVERYBODY calm down! This is perfectly normal TWC procedure. They ALWAYS show your weekly benefit amount during processing. It means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING except they've verified your wages. Your claim is still under review and can 100% be denied regardless of that amount showing. They have to show it by law even if they're going to deny you later for other reasons. The system is designed to torture us! If your former employer contests your claim or there's ANY issue with your separation reason, expect another 3-4 weeks minimum before a decision. TWC is HORRIBLE with timeframes. I went through this nightmare twice!

my cousin had the same thing happen but then he got denied 3 weeks later because his boss said he quit without good cause. so be careful counting on that money. do you think your employer might fight it?

To answer your original question clearly: No, having a Weekly Benefit Amount calculated does NOT mean you're approved yet. It just means they've completed the financial eligibility determination part of your claim. For full approval, TWC needs to: 1. Verify your wage credits (this is what determines your WBA - already done in your case) 2. Confirm your reason for separation is qualifying (laid off, reduction in hours, etc.) 3. Check that you meet other eligibility requirements You should continue checking your correspondence inbox on the TWC portal daily, as well as your physical mail. You'll receive a Statement of Benefits and possibly a separate Determination on Payment of Unemployment Benefits letter when the process is complete. If your status is still "under review" after 3 weeks total, I'd recommend trying to speak with a TWC representative for an update.

anybody else notice how TWC always does this right before rent is due??? like they kno exactly when to stress us out the most lol

Something similar happened to me in February. I saw my weekly benefit amount ($525) appear on my portal, but my claim remained "under review" for another 10 days before changing to "approved." During that time, I completed my ID.me verification (which it sounds like you need to do as well) and made sure I was doing at least 3 work search activities each week. One important thing I learned: you should begin requesting payment as soon as you're eligible to do so (every two weeks), even if your claim is still under review. If you wait until after approval to make your first payment request, you might miss out on benefits for those weeks. The system will hold your payment requests until your claim is approved, then process them if you're eligible. Hope this helps and that you get your approval soon!

Yes, absolutely request payment on your designated day, even while your claim is still under review. The system will hold those requests until your claim is fully processed. If you're approved, those payment requests will then be processed accordingly. If you're denied, the requests simply won't result in payment. Regarding your ID.me verification - complete that as soon as possible since it's now a required step for most TWC claims. It can take 24-48 hours to process after completion, and your claim won't move forward until that step is done. Just to set expectations - with the ID.me verification now needed, you're probably looking at another 5-10 business days minimum before final approval, assuming everything else checks out with your claim.

Hey Amina! I went through this exact same situation last year and I know how stressful it is. The WBA showing up is definitely a positive step - it means they've verified your work history and wages. But like others have mentioned, you're not fully approved until you get that official determination letter. Since you mentioned you were laid off due to slow business, that's typically a qualifying reason so you should be in good shape once they finish reviewing everything. The ID.me verification is the main thing holding you up now - I remember that being a real headache but once it's done, things usually move pretty quickly. One tip that helped me during the waiting period: if you have any documentation from your employer about the layoff (like an email or letter), make sure you have copies ready in case TWC requests them. Also keep track of all your work search activities even while waiting - you'll need to report those when you start requesting payments. Hang in there, you're almost at the finish line!

I'm going through something similar right now! Filed about 10 days ago and just saw my WBA show up ($392) but still showing "under review" status. Reading through all these comments is actually really helpful - sounds like I need to be patient and wait for the official determination letter. Did anyone else have issues with the ID.me verification? I started mine yesterday but it kept saying my photo was too blurry. Finally got it to work on my third try but now I'm worried it might delay things even more. Really hoping it doesn't take the full 5-10 business days that Javier mentioned because I'm in the same boat with bills coming due soon. Thanks for posting this question Amina - you're definitely not alone in feeling stressed about this whole process!

Just wanted to add my experience to help ease some of your anxiety! I had the exact same situation happen to me about 6 months ago - saw my WBA ($445) show up but claim stayed "under review" for what felt like forever. The good news is that in most cases, if you were legitimately laid off due to business reasons like you mentioned, approval usually follows once they finish all their verification steps. The ID.me thing is relatively new but once that's done, you should see movement pretty quickly. One thing I wish someone had told me - make sure you're saving screenshots of your portal showing the WBA and your claim status. I ended up needing those later when there was a small glitch in the system. Also, if you have any text messages or emails from your employer about the layoff, keep those handy too. The waiting is absolutely brutal when you're worried about bills, but from everything I've seen in this community, legitimate layoff claims like yours typically get approved. Just keep doing your work searches and requesting payments when eligible. You're doing everything right!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my claim about a week and a half ago and just saw my WBA ($402) appear on my portal yesterday, but my status is still showing "under review." Reading through all these responses has been so helpful - I had no idea that seeing the benefit amount didn't mean automatic approval. Like you, I was laid off due to business slowdown, so hopefully that works in my favor. I also just got the ID.me verification requirement pop up on my account today, so I'll be tackling that this weekend. From what everyone's saying, it sounds like once that's done, things should move pretty quickly. The stress about bills is so real though! I've been checking my portal obsessively every few hours hoping to see some change. At least now I know that's totally normal and I should expect to wait a bit longer. Thanks for posting this question - it's really comforting to know so many of us are going through the same process and that most legitimate layoff claims do get approved eventually. Fingers crossed we both get our approval letters soon! 🤞

I went through this exact same situation about 3 months ago! Seeing your WBA appear is definitely a positive step, but you're right to be cautious about counting on the money just yet. When I first saw my benefit amount ($520), I was so relieved thinking I was approved, but then had to wait another 12 days for the actual determination letter. The fact that you were laid off due to slow business is really good news though - that's exactly the type of qualifying separation TWC approves for. Just make sure you complete that ID.me verification ASAP since that's become a major bottleneck in their system lately. One thing that helped me during the waiting period was setting up text alerts on my TWC account so I'd get notified immediately of any status changes instead of constantly checking the portal. You can find that option under account settings. Also, definitely start your payment requests when you're eligible even while under review - the system will hold them until you're approved. Hang in there! Based on your situation (legitimate layoff + WBA already calculated), you should get approved once they finish all their verification steps. The waiting is torture but you're almost there!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed about 2 weeks ago and just saw my WBA ($438) show up yesterday, but my status is still "under review." This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that seeing the benefit amount didn't automatically mean approval. I was also laid off due to business restructuring, so reading about everyone else's similar situations with legitimate layoffs eventually getting approved is giving me some hope. Just got the ID.me verification requirement today, so I'll be working on that this weekend. The financial stress is so real though - I've been checking my portal probably 10 times a day hoping for any update! It's reassuring to know that's totally normal and that most people in similar situations do get approved once all the verification steps are complete. Thanks Amina for posting this question - it's exactly what so many of us needed to hear right now. Hoping we all get our approval letters soon! 🤞

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Filed my claim about 10 days ago after being laid off due to company downsizing, and just saw my WBA ($425) appear on my portal this morning. Like you, I was initially excited thinking it meant I was approved, but then noticed my status still says "under review." Reading through all these comments has been SO helpful - I had no idea this was such a common part of the process! It sounds like the WBA appearing just means they've verified our wages, but they still need to confirm our separation reason and complete other eligibility checks. I also just got hit with the ID.me verification requirement today, so I'll be tackling that this weekend. Based on everyone's experiences here, it seems like that's become a major step that's causing delays, but once it's done things tend to move faster. The stress about bills is so real though! I've been refreshing my portal constantly hoping for updates. It's really reassuring to hear from people who went through the same thing and eventually got approved, especially those with legitimate layoffs like ours. Thanks for posting this question Amina - you've helped so many of us realize we're not alone in this nerve-wracking waiting game! Hoping we both get our approval letters soon! 🤞

I just went through this exact same thing last month! Saw my WBA ($395) appear after about 10 days of waiting, but then had to wait another week and a half before getting my actual approval letter. The WBA showing up is definitely a good sign - it means they've at least verified your work history and calculated what you'd be eligible for based on your wages. Since you mentioned you were laid off due to slow business, that's typically considered a qualifying separation reason, so you should be in good shape once they finish reviewing everything. The ID.me verification you mentioned is probably the main thing holding up your approval right now - that's become a required step for most claims and can add several days to the process. One thing I learned that I wish someone had told me earlier: make sure you're documenting all your work search activities even while waiting for approval, and definitely submit your payment requests when you're eligible (even with the "under review" status). The system will hold those requests until you're approved, but if you wait until after approval to start requesting, you could miss out on benefits for those earlier weeks. The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking when bills are due, but based on your situation it sounds like you should get approved soon. Keep checking that correspondence section in your portal daily for updates!

I'm currently going through this exact same situation! Filed my claim about 8 days ago after being laid off due to budget cuts at my company, and my WBA ($358) just showed up on my portal yesterday. Like everyone else here, I was initially excited thinking it meant automatic approval, but then realized my status still shows "under review." This entire thread has been incredibly valuable - I had no idea that seeing the WBA was just one step in the process and that they still need to verify separation reasons and other eligibility factors. I also just got the ID.me verification requirement pop up today, so I'll be working on that over the weekend based on all the helpful tips people have shared here. The financial anxiety is so real when you're waiting and have bills coming due! I've definitely been guilty of checking my portal multiple times throughout the day hoping for any updates. It's really comforting to know that legitimate layoffs like ours typically do get approved once all the verification steps are completed. I'm planning to submit my first payment request next week even though I'm still under review, and I've been documenting all my work search activities just in case. Thanks Amina for asking this question - you've helped so many of us understand this confusing process and realize we're not alone in the waiting game!

I'm in the exact same boat right now! Filed my claim about 9 days ago after being laid off due to company restructuring, and my WBA ($412) just appeared on my portal this morning. Like you, I was initially relieved thinking it meant I was approved, but then noticed my status still says "under review." This thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea this was normal TWC procedure! It's really reassuring to hear from so many people who went through the same thing with legitimate layoffs and eventually got approved. I also just got hit with the ID.me verification requirement today, so I'll be tackling that this weekend based on all the helpful advice shared here. The stress about upcoming bills is so real! I've been checking my portal obsessively hoping for updates. It's comforting to know that's totally normal and that company restructuring should be a qualifying separation reason once they finish all their verification steps. I'm definitely going to set up those text alerts that Val mentioned and make sure to submit my payment request next week even while still under review. Thanks for posting this question - you've helped so many of us understand this confusing process and feel less alone during the stressful waiting period! Fingers crossed we all get our approval letters soon! 🤞

I'm going through the exact same situation! Filed my claim about a week ago after being laid off due to company downsizing, and my WBA ($445) just showed up yesterday. Like everyone else here, I initially thought seeing the benefit amount meant I was automatically approved, but then realized my status still says "under review." This entire thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that the WBA appearing was just one step in the verification process! Reading everyone's experiences has really eased my anxiety about the waiting period. I also just got the ID.me verification requirement today, so I'll be working through that this weekend based on all the great tips shared here. The financial stress while waiting is so intense, especially with rent due soon! I've definitely been guilty of refreshing my portal every few hours hoping for changes. It's really comforting to know that legitimate layoffs like company downsizing typically get approved once TWC finishes all their verification steps. I'm planning to submit my first payment request next Tuesday even though I'm still under review, and I've been documenting all my work search activities just to be safe. Thanks Amina for asking this question - you've created such a supportive thread that's helping so many of us navigate this confusing and stressful process! Hoping we all get our approval letters soon! 🤞