TWC deducted money from my payment - does this mean my claim is approved?

Yes, this actually means your claim is approved! When TWC shows a payment with an offset/recoupment, it means they've processed your claim and found you eligible, but they're collecting on a previous overpayment. The good news is you're approved and should continue receiving benefits (minus any continued deductions until the overpayment is satisfied). This is completely normal procedure.

OMG thank you!!! I've been so stressed waiting for this approval. Do you know if they'll take the same amount from every payment until it's paid off? Or will they take the whole thing at once?

congrats on getting approved! took me like 9 weeks to get my first payment lol. they did the same thing to me, took like $320 out for something from like 2 years ago that i didnt even remember

That makes me feel better! I was worried something was wrong. Did they take money from all your payments or just the first one?

they took money from all of them until i paid off what i owed. took like 6 weeks and then i started getting the full amount

DEFINITELY means you're approved! Been through this exact situation. They'll keep taking a portion until your old overpayment is completely paid back. Just be SUPER CAREFUL to keep doing your payment requests on time and make sure you're doing ALL 3 REQUIRED work searches each week!!! They will absolutely audit you and if you mess up even once they'll stop payments and you'll have to appeal and it's a NIGHTMARE dealing with them!

Thank you for the warning! I've been doing 4 work searches each week just to be safe. I'm writing everything down with dates and contact info too.

My cousin had this happen last year. The TWC system automatically deducts overpayments from new claims. So yes you're approved! Did you get a determination letter in your correspondence inbox before this payment showed up?

I got something in my correspondence box about a week ago but honestly I was so confused by all the legal language I wasn't sure what it meant. It did say something about being 'eligible' but there was so much other stuff about 'base period wages' and 'qualifying separation' that I wasn't sure!

This definitely means your claim is approved. TWC is legally required to recover any overpayments from previous claims, and they do this through an automatic recoupment process when you qualify for a new claim. You should receive a determination letter explaining your weekly benefit amount (WBA), when your benefits began, and information about the overpayment recovery. The offset will continue until the old balance is paid in full, then you'll start receiving your full WBA. Make sure you continue filing your payment requests on time and completing your work search activities - the system should now process your payments consistently every two weeks.

Thank you for the detailed explanation! That really helps. Do you know if I can see somewhere on my account how much I still owe from the previous overpayment? I honestly don't remember how much it was.

Yes, you can see your overpayment balance in your TWC account. Log in and look for the

I had to call them about a similar situation last month and it took me THREE DAYS of constant calling to finally get through. I almost lost my mind waiting on hold. Finally I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a TWC agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh. It was definitely worth it to actually talk to someone who could explain my payment situation and exactly how long the deductions would continue.

Thank you for this suggestion! I've been trying to call them but I always get the 'all lines are busy' message. I'll check out that service if I need to talk to someone. Right now I'm just happy to know my claim is approved!

has anyone actually used this service? seems sketchy to pay money just to talk to twc...

It worked for me! The TWC phone system is so broken it was actually worth it. I had been trying for days with no luck calling the regular way.

Yes you're approved but watch out because they might be taking more than they are legally allowed to!!! When I had an offset last year they were taking 50% of my payment but legally they can only take 25-33% depending on your situation. I had to file an appeal to get them to fix it and got backpay for the excess they took. You should double-check the percentage they're taking!

This isn't fully accurate. For unemployment benefit overpayments, TWC can recover up to 100% of future benefits until the debt is repaid. The 25-33% limitation applies to certain other types of government debts, but not to TWC benefit overpayments. You might be thinking of wage garnishment limits for regular employment, which are different from benefit recoupment.

That's not what TWC told me when I called!! The lady specifically said they could only take 33% from my payments and had to adjust my account. Maybe it depends on why you had an overpayment in the first place?

There are some specific circumstances where reduced recoupment rates apply, particularly for non-fraud overpayments where the claimant demonstrates financial hardship. In those cases, TWC can approve a reduced percentage. However, the default for standard benefit overpayments is 100% recoupment. It sounds like you might have qualified for a hardship reduction, which is great, but it's not the standard policy for everyone.

just be glad ur getting paid at all!!!! i had to wait like 3 months last time cuz of an id.me issue

3 months?! That's terrible! I was freaking out after 5 weeks. The system is so frustrating.

Just to add some useful information: make sure you download and save your payment statements for your records. Sometimes TWC's system has glitches where payment history disappears temporarily. Having your own copies can save you a lot of stress if you ever need to verify what you've received or what's been deducted. Also, set calendar reminders for your payment request days - missing even one can cause major delays.

That's great advice! I'll start saving copies of everything. I already missed one payment request date when I first applied and it took an extra week to get back on track.

Did anyone tell you that you could have requested a PAYMENT PLAN for your overpayment instead of letting them take it all at once?? The whole system is designed to keep you confused and take as much money as possible!! When I had an overpayment, I called and DEMANDED a payment plan and they reduced what they took each week. But you have to specifically ask for it - they WON'T tell you this is an option!!!

This is partially correct. You can request a payment plan for overpayments, but only if you're not currently receiving benefits. When you're actively receiving unemployment benefits, TWC's standard procedure is to recoup from current benefits first. Payment plans typically apply after your benefit year ends or if you're no longer receiving benefits but still owe an overpayment.