How long after TWC verifies bank info will I get my first unemployment payment?
I finally got approved for TX unemployment last week after waiting foreverrr! Now TWC is verifying my bank account for direct deposit. Does anyone know how many more days this typically takes before I actually see money? My rent is due in 10 days and I'm getting nervous. The automated system just says "payment pending - bank verification" when I call. Will they contact me if there's a problem with my account info? This is my first time on unemployment and I'm totally lost!
33 comments


Savannah Weiner
For most people, bank verification takes 2-3 business days after you've entered your info correctly. Once that's done, the payment itself typically processes within 1-2 business days. So you're looking at about 3-5 business days total from when they started the verification process. If there's an issue with your bank info, they'll email you or post a message in your TWC correspondence inbox. Be sure to keep checking both your personal email and your TWC account daily.
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Giovanni Martello
•Thank you so much! I entered my bank info last Friday, so hopefully that means I'll see something by this weekend. Do I need to keep requesting payment every 2 weeks even while they're still processing this first one?
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Levi Parker
bank verification SHOULD be quick but mine took 9 days back in january!!! twc is so backed up right now. if ur freaking out about rent maybe you can get the debit card option instead? when i switched to that it was faster
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Libby Hassan
•same here!! the bank verification took forever for me too. i thought i put in wrong info or something but nope just slow processing
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Hunter Hampton
I went through this last month. If you want to check your status or fix problems, good luck getting through on the phone. I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a TWC rep in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh - totally worth it when you're stressing about rent coming due!
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Giovanni Martello
•Thank you!! I might try this if I don't see anything by Monday. Did you talk to an actual person who could tell you what was happening with your claim?
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Sofia Peña
If there's a problem with your bank info, they won't always tell you! My account number had a typo and I waited THREE WEEKS before I realized the issue. Check your TWC correspondence inbox daily for messages. And YES, you absolutely must continue requesting payments every two weeks on your assigned day regardless of whether previous payments have processed. Missing a payment request can mess up your whole claim.
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Aaron Boston
•This! I missed ONE payment request because I thought I had to wait for the first one to process and it messed up my whole claim. Had to call and get it fixed but lost a week of benefits. The system is so confusing.
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Sophia Carter
The TWC system is terrible about telling you when things are wrong. ALWAYS double-check your banking info and call them if you don't see a deposit within a week. I've been on unemployment twice in Texas, and both times there were delays for completely different reasons. If you're worried about rent, call the TWC Tele-Serv number (800-558-8321) and select the option to check payment status. Sometimes you'll get more detailed information from the automated system than from the website.
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Giovanni Martello
•Just tried the Tele-Serv number again and it still says just "pending bank verification" with no estimated date. Going to try again tomorrow morning. Thanks for the suggestion though!
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Libby Hassan
mine took 4 days for direct deposit to clear after verification but my cousin got hers in 2 days last month so it really varies
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Savannah Weiner
Just to clarify something important - there are actually TWO verifications happening: 1) TWC verifies your bank info is valid (2-3 days typically) and 2) After approval, the actual payment processing time (1-2 days). So when people say "it took X days," they might be counting from different starting points. Once your payment shows as "processed" in the system, it's usually in your account within 48 hours max. And to your earlier question - yes, you MUST continue requesting payments on your assigned day every two weeks regardless of whether you've received your first payment yet.
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Giovanni Martello
•That makes sense! My payment request day is next Tuesday, so I'll make sure to do that no matter what. Do I have to do the work search activities before I even get my first payment?
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Sophia Carter
Yes, you absolutely need to do your work search activities (minimum 3 per week in Texas) from the very beginning of your claim. Document everything carefully - job site used, position applied for, company name, any contact info you have. TWC can audit your work search at any time, even months later. I keep a spreadsheet with all my work search activities just in case.
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Giovanni Martello
•Oh wow, I didn't realize I needed to start those already! Thank you so much for letting me know. Going to start applying for jobs today.
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Levi Parker
update us when u get ur $$$! i'm curious if things r moving faster now than when i applied in january. took me almost 3 weeks total from approval to first deposit 😭
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Giovanni Martello
•Will do! I really hope it doesn't take 3 weeks... my landlord is already giving me the side-eye when I see him in the hallway 😬
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Giovanni Ricci
Hey Giovanni! I just went through this exact same situation a few weeks ago. The bank verification process can be nerve-wracking when you're waiting on that first payment. In my experience, once TWC starts the bank verification, it typically takes 3-5 business days total before you see the money in your account. Since you entered your info on Friday, I'd expect to see something by Wednesday or Thursday of this week if everything goes smoothly. One thing that helped me was setting up account alerts with my bank so I'd get notified immediately when the deposit came through. Also, make sure you're checking your TWC correspondence inbox daily - they'll send you a message there if there are any issues with your banking info. Hang in there, you're almost at the finish line!
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Jamal Edwards
•Thank you Giovanni! It's so reassuring to hear from someone who just went through this. I'll definitely set up those bank alerts - that's a great idea. Wednesday/Thursday would be perfect timing since my rent isn't due until next Monday. I've been obsessively checking my TWC inbox but so far just the usual automated messages. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly!
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AstroAdventurer
Just wanted to add something that might help ease your anxiety - I work at a credit union and see TWC deposits come through regularly. Once the bank verification is complete on TWC's end, the actual ACH transfer usually hits accounts within 1-2 business days. Most banks process these early in the morning, so check your account first thing when you wake up rather than constantly refreshing throughout the day. Also, if you're really worried about timing with rent, consider reaching out to your landlord now to give them a heads up about the situation. Most are understanding about unemployment delays, especially if you communicate proactively. You've got this!
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NeonNova
•That's really helpful insight from the banking side! I never thought about reaching out to my landlord proactively, but you're absolutely right - it's better to communicate now rather than wait until the last minute. I'll give him a call today and explain the situation. Thanks for the tip about checking early morning too - I've been refreshing my account like every hour which is probably just making me more anxious. Really appreciate the encouragement!
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AstroAce
I went through this exact same waiting period back in February and I totally understand the anxiety! One thing that really helped me was logging into my TWC account online and checking the "Payment and Tax Information" section - sometimes it shows more detailed status info than the phone system. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you're continuing to request your payment every two weeks on your assigned day even while waiting for this first deposit. I made the mistake of thinking I should wait and it caused a delay. The good news is that once TWC processes your first payment, subsequent ones usually go much faster. Keep your chin up - you're so close!
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Sofía Rodríguez
•Thank you so much for the detailed advice! I just checked the "Payment and Tax Information" section and it actually does show a bit more detail than the phone system - it says "Bank Verification - In Progress" with an estimated completion date of tomorrow. That's way more helpful than just "pending"! I've been keeping up with my bi-weekly requests thankfully, but it's good to hear confirmation that I need to keep doing that. It's such a relief to know that future payments will be faster once this first hurdle is cleared. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience!
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Ava Rodriguez
Giovanni, I totally feel your stress about the rent deadline! I went through this same waiting game about 6 months ago and it's absolutely nerve-wracking. From what I experienced, once TWC says they're verifying your bank info, you're usually looking at about 5-7 business days total before the money hits your account. The verification itself takes 2-3 days, then another 2-3 for the actual payment to process. Since you submitted Friday, I'd expect to see something by next Wednesday/Thursday at the latest. One thing that saved my sanity was calling my bank to confirm they don't have any holds or restrictions on ACH transfers from government agencies - sometimes that can cause unexpected delays. Also, keep doing those work search activities even while waiting! TWC is really strict about that requirement. You're almost there - hang in there!
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Mateo Hernandez
•Thank you Ava! That timeline of 5-7 business days total makes sense and actually aligns with what others have said. I never thought about calling my bank to check for holds on government ACH transfers - that's such a smart tip! I'm definitely going to do that first thing tomorrow morning. It would be awful to have everything processed on TWC's end only to have my bank delay it. I've been keeping up with the work search requirements thankfully, though I'll admit I was confused about when to start those initially. Really appreciate you sharing your timeline and the practical advice about checking with the bank. It helps so much to hear from people who've actually been through this process!
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Connor O'Reilly
Giovanni, I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my claim 3 weeks ago, got approved last Tuesday, and just submitted my bank info yesterday. Reading through all these responses is actually really helpful because I was starting to panic too. My rent is due next Friday and I was worried I'd made some mistake in the process. It sounds like we're both looking at roughly the same timeline - hopefully we'll both see our payments by the end of this week or early next week. The tip about checking with your bank for ACH holds is brilliant, I'm definitely doing that tomorrow. Also planning to set up those account alerts someone mentioned. Keep us posted on when yours comes through - it'll give me hope for mine! We've made it this far through the approval process, we can handle a few more days of waiting.
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StarSeeker
•Connor, it's such a relief to know someone else is going through the exact same timeline! I was starting to feel like I was the only one stressed about this. Your rent deadline is even tighter than mine, so I really hope yours processes quickly. I'm definitely going to call my bank tomorrow morning about those ACH holds - seems like such an easy thing to check that could save us both a lot of headache. The account alerts are a great idea too, at least then we'll know the moment something hits our accounts instead of obsessively checking every few hours. I'll absolutely keep you posted when mine comes through! Fingers crossed we both see our payments by Thursday/Friday. We've definitely made it through the hardest part with getting approved - just need to get over this final hurdle!
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Noah Ali
Hey Giovanni! I just went through this same process about a month ago and totally understand the anxiety when you're waiting on that first payment with bills due. From my experience, once TWC starts the bank verification process, you're typically looking at 4-6 business days total before the money actually hits your account. Since you entered your info on Friday, I'd expect to see something by this Thursday or Friday at the latest. One thing that really helped me was calling my bank to make sure they don't have any restrictions on ACH deposits from Texas Workforce Commission - sometimes banks flag government payments which can cause delays. Also, definitely keep checking your TWC correspondence inbox daily because if there's any issue with your banking info, that's usually where they'll notify you first. The waiting is the worst part, but you're so close to getting your first payment! And yes, make sure you keep doing your bi-weekly payment requests even while this first one is processing.
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Mateo Silva
•Noah, thank you so much for the reassurance! Thursday or Friday would be perfect timing for me. I'm definitely going to call my bank first thing tomorrow morning to check about ACH restrictions - that's such a practical tip that I never would have thought of. It would be terrible to have TWC process everything correctly only to have my bank hold it up. I've been religiously checking my correspondence inbox but so far just the usual automated messages. The waiting really is the worst part, especially when you're watching your bank balance get lower each day! But hearing from people like you who've recently been through this exact process makes me feel so much better. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your timeline and advice!
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Royal_GM_Mark
Giovanni, I completely understand your anxiety about the timing with rent due! I went through this exact situation about 2 months ago and it was so stressful waiting for that first payment. From my experience, once TWC starts bank verification, you're typically looking at 3-5 business days total before the deposit hits your account. Since you submitted your info on Friday, I'd expect to see something by Wednesday or Thursday of this week. One thing that really saved me stress was setting up text alerts with my bank for any incoming deposits - that way I knew the moment it came through instead of constantly checking my balance. Also, definitely call TWC's automated line early in the morning (around 7-8 AM) as it sometimes gives more detailed status updates than later in the day. The good news is once you get that first payment, future ones process much faster! You're almost there - hang in there!
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Miguel Diaz
•Thank you so much for the encouraging words and timeline! Wednesday or Thursday would be absolutely perfect for me. I love the idea of setting up text alerts with my bank - I've been driving myself crazy checking my account balance multiple times a day. That would definitely help with the anxiety. I'll also try calling the automated line early in the morning tomorrow - I usually call later in the day so maybe I'll get better info if I call first thing. It's so reassuring to hear that future payments process faster once this first hurdle is cleared. Really appreciate you sharing your experience and the practical tips!
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Cole Roush
Giovanni, I totally get the stress you're feeling right now! I went through this exact same situation about 3 months ago and the waiting period for that first payment is absolutely nerve-wracking when you've got bills due. From my experience, once TWC begins bank verification, you're usually looking at about 4-6 business days total before the money actually appears in your account. Since you entered your info on Friday, I'd expect to see something by Wednesday or Thursday this week. One thing that really helped me was downloading my bank's mobile app and turning on push notifications for deposits - that way I got an instant alert when the payment came through instead of obsessively checking my balance all day. Also, make sure you're logging into your TWC account online daily to check for any messages in your correspondence inbox. If there's any issue with your banking details, they'll usually notify you there first. The waiting is definitely the hardest part, but you're so close now! Keep your head up and remember that once this first payment processes, all your future payments will be much quicker.
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Omar Farouk
•Cole, thank you so much for the detailed timeline and advice! Wednesday or Thursday would be absolutely perfect timing for me. I really like the idea of setting up push notifications through my bank's mobile app - I've been checking my account balance obsessively throughout the day which is probably just making my anxiety worse. Getting an instant notification when the deposit hits would be so much better for my peace of mind. I've been checking my TWC correspondence inbox religiously but thankfully haven't seen any error messages yet, just the usual automated stuff. It's incredibly reassuring to hear from someone who went through this exact situation just a few months ago. The waiting really is the hardest part, especially when you're watching your savings dwindle while waiting! But knowing that future payments will be quicker once I get over this initial hurdle definitely helps me stay positive. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and all the practical tips!
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