How quickly does TWC detect new income? I'm worried about overpayments

TWC doesn't actually detect your income in real-time. The system works by comparing what you report on your payment requests with what your employer reports quarterly through wage records. That means there could be a 3-4 month delay before TWC's system automatically flags any discrepancies between what you reported and what your employer reported. As long as you're accurately reporting all your hours and earnings on every payment request, you should be fine. Keep detailed records of your work hours, pay stubs, and payment request confirmations just in case there are questions later.

idk my cousin didnt report some shifts and got caught like 6 months later ended up owing like 3 grand back

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CATCH YOU!!!! Trust me, they WILL find out eventually and then they'll hit you with FRAUD penalties that are 15% on top of whatever you owe. I had to pay back $4200 because I misunderstood how to report my 1099 work. Even if you're honest they sometimes mess up the calculations and STILL say you owe them. And good luck trying to get anyone on the phone to fix their mistakes!!!

Look, I was in your exact situation last year. As long as you're accurately reporting your hours and income on your bi-weekly payment requests, you're doing your part. TWC primarily puts the responsibility on YOU to report correctly. Employers submit quarterly wage reports, so there could be a lag of 3-4 months before TWC cross-references everything. I had a part-time job while on unemployment and never had issues because I was meticulous about reporting my hours. Just make sure you're calculating your gross earnings (before taxes) correctly for each payment request period. Keep all your pay stubs and a log of hours worked for at least a year just to be safe. If you're super worried, you could always call TWC directly to verify you're reporting correctly, but good luck getting through on those phone lines. I used Claimyr.com to connect with a TWC agent quickly when I had questions - saved me hours of busy signals and hold time. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh that shows how it works.

hey just wondering - does anyone know if this is different for gig work? i drive for uber sometimes and im never sure how to report it

To answer your follow-up question - yes, as long as you're reporting accurately on your bi-weekly payment requests, you're fulfilling your responsibility. The employer's reporting timeline doesn't affect your obligation. One important note: TWC calculates benefits based on your gross wages (before taxes/deductions) earned during specific payment request periods, not when you actually receive the paycheck. So if you worked Monday-Friday but don't get paid until the following week, you still need to report those hours/earnings for the week you actually performed the work. When TWC eventually cross-references with employer reports, they're checking that what you reported matches what your employer reported. Discrepancies are what trigger overpayment notices.

when i was on unemployment i kept a spreadsheet of all my hours and what i reported each time just to be safe

my friend got a letter like 5 months after he started working saying he didnt report right and owed TWC like $2800

Thanks everyone for the advice! I'll make sure to keep reporting my income correctly on every payment request and start keeping a detailed log of all my hours and pay. Super grateful for all the help!