TWC approved my claim while I still have a part-time job - will I have to repay benefits?

You're actually doing everything right! Texas allows partial unemployment benefits when you're still working part-time but had a significant reduction in hours/wages. As long as you accurately report your part-time earnings on each payment request, TWC will automatically adjust your weekly benefit amount using their partial benefit formula. You'll receive the difference between your weekly benefit amount and what you earn (minus a small disregard). Just make sure you ALWAYS report your part-time income accurately. Underreporting hours/wages is what causes most overpayment issues.

this happened 2 me last year when i got laid off from my full time gig but kept bartending weekends. as long as ur reporting ur income right ur good. they adjust ur payment based on what u make each week

What you're describing is called "partial unemployment" and it's completely legitimate. The basic formula TWC uses is: 1. If you earn less than 25% of your weekly benefit amount (WBA), that money is disregarded completely 2. After that, they deduct $0.75 for every $1 you earn 3. Once your earnings reach about 133% of your WBA, benefits reduce to zero So with your $425 WBA and approximately $225 weekly part-time earnings, you should receive around $256 in partial benefits each week ($425 - [($225 - $106) × 0.75]). Keep careful records of all payment requests and earnings reported. The MyTWC portal should show your reported earnings history which is helpful if questions ever come up.

Does anybody know if you can still meet the work search requirements with a part-time job? I'm in a similar situation but confused about if I still need to apply to 3 jobs each week when I'm already working part-time?

TWC is a NIGHTMARE to deal with if you have any questions or problems!!! I've been trying to get through to an actual human for WEEKS about my partial benefits calculation. Busy signals, disconnections, or 3+ hour hold times that disconnect you anyway. I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a TWC agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending days redialing. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh Totally worth it for peace of mind to talk to an actual agent who confirmed I was doing everything right with my partial unemployment.

BE CAREFUL with partial unemployment! I reported everything correctly and TWC STILL sent me an overpayment notice for $5,200 eight months later claiming I wasn't eligible! Now I'm in appeals hell trying to fight it. Their system is designed to trap people and then demand money back.

Update: I just had my biweekly payment request and everything seems to be going smoothly. The TWC system asked for my part-time hours and wages as expected, and I got a reduced benefit amount based on what I earned. Based on all your helpful comments, I'm feeling much more confident now that I'm not doing anything wrong. I've also been keeping track of all my work search activities since that's still required. Thanks everyone for your help!

My brother in law got partial unemplyment for 6 months when he lost his welding job but kept working at his uncles shop part time. Hes fine never had to pay anything back. you worry too much lol

I'm in almost the exact same situation! Lost my full-time warehouse job but still have my weekend cashier position. I was terrified to file because I thought having ANY job would disqualify me, but reading everyone's responses here is so reassuring. I've been putting off filing for two weeks because I was scared of getting in trouble later. Sounds like as long as I'm honest about my part-time earnings, I should be okay to apply. Thanks for posting this question - you probably helped a lot of people who were in the same boat!

Just wanted to add that I went through something very similar last year when I lost my office job but kept my evening tutoring gig. The anxiety about potential overpayments is totally understandable, but you're doing everything correctly by reporting your part-time income accurately. One thing that really helped ease my mind was downloading and keeping screenshots of each payment request confirmation showing exactly what I reported for wages and hours. That way if any questions ever came up, I had proof of what I submitted. Also, your MyTWC account keeps a history of all your reported earnings which is really helpful for record-keeping. The partial unemployment system in Texas is actually designed for situations exactly like yours - significant job loss but still some income coming in. You're not gaming the system, you're using it as intended! Keep doing what you're doing and don't let the horror stories scare you too much. Most people who have issues either didn't report income accurately or had employer disputes about their separation reason.

I was in a very similar situation about 8 months ago - lost my main job at a distribution center but kept my weekend restaurant job. The anxiety you're feeling is totally normal! I was constantly worried about getting hit with an overpayment notice too. What really helped me was calling TWC early on to confirm I was doing everything right (took forever to get through, but worth it). The agent explained that as long as you're reporting your part-time income accurately and completely on every payment request, you're following the rules. They actually EXPECT people to have partial employment situations like this. One tip: keep a simple spreadsheet or notebook tracking your part-time hours and wages alongside what you report to TWC each week. It only takes 30 seconds but gives you peace of mind and documentation if needed. I never had any issues during my 4 months on partial benefits, and most people I know who were honest about their earnings didn't either. You're doing it right!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Just got laid off from my full-time warehouse job but I'm still working my weekend retail position. I was terrified to even file because I thought any employment would disqualify me completely. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially understanding how the partial benefit calculation works. I finally filed yesterday after putting it off for almost 3 weeks out of fear. Seeing that so many people have successfully navigated this situation while being honest about their part-time income gives me a lot more confidence. I'm definitely going to start keeping detailed records of everything I report like some of you suggested. Thanks for asking this question - it probably helped way more people than just you!