TWC deposited payment before determination letter - Is this normal?

This happened to me last month! I got my first payment (after waiting week) before getting any determination letter. Called TWC and they said it means my claim was approved, but the determination letter was just delayed due to backlog. You're good to go - spend that money! If there was an issue with your eligibility, they wouldn't have paid you at all.

yep its normal. TWc is backed up right now. my wife got paid 3 weeks b4 her letter came in the mail

This is actually more common than you might think. When your employer responds without contesting your unemployment claim, TWC sometimes starts payments while the paperwork for the official determination is still being processed. The key fact here is that you received payment - that's a strong indicator your claim is approved! You should still receive a determination letter, but it might take another 2-3 weeks given current processing times. The letter will outline your official benefit amount and duration, but the payment you received confirms you've been approved. Just make sure you keep requesting payment every two weeks and completing your work search activities (minimum 3 per week in Texas) so your benefits continue without interruption.

DONT SPEND IT!!! This happened to my cousin and TWC later said it was a mistake and demanded everything back with penalties!! The system is totally broken right now and they're making tons of mistakes with payments. Just wait for the letter to be safe!!!

To clarify what others have said: TWC's payment and determination letter systems operate somewhat independently. The payment system can approve benefits once basic eligibility is confirmed (employer response verified, no disqualifying issues identified), while the formal determination letter might still be in process. What industry did you work in? Some sectors have faster claim processing times than others. Restaurant industry claims are usually straightforward when it's a layoff situation rather than termination. One thing to watch for - when your determination letter does arrive, check that your weekly benefit amount (WBA) matches what you received. If there's a discrepancy, contact TWC right away. Usually, the first payment amount is accurate, but it's good practice to verify.

If you're still worried and want to confirm your claim status directly with TWC, I'd highly recommend using Claimyr.com to get through to a live agent quickly. I was in a similar situation last month (payment but no determination) and spent DAYS trying to get through the regular TWC phone lines with no luck. Claimyr got me connected to a TWC agent in about 20 minutes who confirmed everything was fine with my claim. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh The peace of mind was totally worth it instead of stressing for weeks waiting for the letter.

I got my determination letter WEEKS after my first payment. TWC is just backed up with processing paperwork, but their payment system still works. As long as you filled everything out truthfully you're fine. Also make sure you're certifying for payment every two weeks on your assigned day. I almost messed that up and had to request payment late which caused a whole other headache lol

my situation was opposite. got the letter saying approved but no payment for almost a month! TWC is just completely random with how they handle things these days

Just to add an important note: Make sure you continue completing your payment requests on schedule regardless of whether you've received the determination letter. Missing a payment request period can create significant complications with your claim. The fact that you've already received a payment is a good sign, but the determination letter is still important because it contains your official benefit information and appeal rights. If you don't receive it within the next 2 weeks, I recommend contacting TWC to ensure they have your correct mailing address on file.

I'm dealing with something similar right now! Filed my claim 2 weeks ago after being laid off from my retail job, and I just got my first payment yesterday but still no determination letter. Reading through these comments is really helpful - sounds like this is pretty normal with TWC being backed up. I was also worried about spending the money in case it was a mistake, but it seems like if they're paying you, that means you're approved. Still planning to keep documenting everything and doing my work searches just to be safe. Thanks for posting this question - you're definitely not alone in this situation!

Same thing happened to me about 6 months ago! Got my payment for week 2 before any determination letter showed up. I was panicking thinking it was some kind of system error, but turned out everything was fine. The letter came about 3 weeks later and confirmed what I already knew from getting paid - I was approved. From what I understand, TWC's payment processing and their mail system work on different timelines. Once your employer responds and doesn't contest the claim, their system can automatically approve payment while the paperwork is still catching up. I'd say you're in the clear to use that money, especially since you were laid off rather than fired for cause. Just keep doing your work searches and certifying every two weeks like you're supposed to. The determination letter will come eventually and it'll just confirm what the payment already told you!

This is totally normal! I went through the exact same thing about 8 months ago when I got laid off from my job at a manufacturing plant. Got my first payment (week 2) about 10 days before my determination letter arrived. I was freaking out thinking TWC made a mistake and would want the money back, but when I finally got through to someone on the phone, they explained that once your employer responds without contesting your claim, their system can automatically start payments while the paperwork is still being processed in the mail department. The key thing is that you were laid off, not terminated for misconduct. In layoff situations, if your employer doesn't dispute the claim, TWC usually has everything they need to approve benefits right away. The determination letter is really just the formal documentation of what they've already decided. I ended up getting my letter about 2.5 weeks after that first payment, and everything matched up perfectly. You should be fine to spend that money - just keep up with your work searches and payment certifications. The fact that TWC sent you money means they've reviewed your case and approved it!

I can relate to this confusion! I went through something similar about 4 months ago when I got laid off from my job at a logistics company. Got my payment before any determination letter and was so worried it was an error. What really helped ease my anxiety was understanding that TWC's payment system and their mail processing work on completely different timelines. Once your employer responds to their inquiry (which sounds like yours did), and there's no red flags in your application, their automated system can approve and release payments while the determination letter is still working its way through their bureaucratic paper trail. Since you were laid off rather than terminated for cause, and you're already receiving payments, that's a really strong indicator everything is approved on their end. The determination letter will come eventually - mine took about 3 weeks after my first payment - but the money showing up in your account is basically TWC's way of saying "you're good to go." Just keep doing those work searches religiously and certifying on time every two weeks. You should be totally fine spending that money!

I went through this exact same situation last year! Got my payment about 10 days before my determination letter arrived and I was panicking thinking TWC made some kind of mistake. Called them multiple times and finally got through to an agent who explained that their payment processing system is actually separate from their mail system - once your employer responds and doesn't contest your unemployment claim, they can start releasing payments while the paperwork is still being processed through their slower administrative channels. Since you mentioned you were laid off from your restaurant manager position, that's typically a pretty straightforward unemployment case. If your employer had any issues with your claim, they would have contested it and you definitely wouldn't have received any payment. The fact that money hit your account is basically TWC's confirmation that you've been approved. My determination letter ended up arriving about 2.5 weeks after my first payment, and everything matched perfectly. You should be fine to use that money - just make sure you keep up with your work search requirements and continue certifying every two weeks. The waiting and uncertainty is definitely stressful, but you're in good shape!

This is such a common scenario right now with TWC! I experienced the exact same thing about 5 months ago when I got laid off from my office job. Got my first payment (after the waiting week) before any determination letter showed up, and I was convinced it was some kind of system glitch. Here's what I learned after talking to a TWC agent: when your employer responds to their inquiry without disputing your claim, TWC's automated payment system can approve and release benefits immediately, while their determination letter process works through a completely separate (and much slower) administrative pipeline. Since you were laid off rather than terminated for misconduct, and TWC has already sent you money, that's essentially their electronic approval. The determination letter is just the formal paperwork catching up to confirm what their system already decided. My letter arrived about 3 weeks after my first payment, and everything was exactly as expected. You're safe to use that money - just stay consistent with your work searches and biweekly certifications. The stress and uncertainty is totally understandable, but you're definitely approved if they're paying you!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Filed my claim about 2.5 weeks ago after getting laid off from my accounting firm, and just like you, I received my payment for the second week but still no determination letter. I've been refreshing my mailbox every day and checking the TWC website constantly. Reading through all these comments has been such a huge relief - it sounds like this is actually pretty normal with how backed up TWC is right now. I was also terrified to spend the money thinking it might be some kind of system error, but hearing from so many people who went through the identical experience and everything turned out fine is really reassuring. I think the key takeaway from everyone's responses is that if TWC is paying you, especially after your employer responded, that's basically their approval even if the paperwork is still catching up. I'm going to stop obsessing over when the letter arrives and just focus on keeping up with my work searches and certifications. Thanks for posting this question - you definitely helped more people than just yourself by bringing up this concern!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation! Filed my claim about 3 weeks ago after getting laid off from my customer service job, and just received my first payment yesterday but still haven't gotten any determination letter. I was panicking thinking TWC made some kind of error and would demand the money back later. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it sounds like this is actually pretty standard with how TWC's systems work right now. The explanation about their payment system operating separately from their mail processing makes total sense. Since I was laid off due to company downsizing (not fired for cause), and my employer didn't contest the claim, it seems like the payment showing up is basically TWC's way of saying I'm approved even though the paperwork is still catching up. I've been keeping detailed records of my work searches and making sure to certify on time every two weeks, so I think I'm doing everything right on my end. Going to stop stressing about spending the money and just wait patiently for that determination letter to arrive in the next few weeks. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating unemployment!

This exact same thing happened to me about 2 months ago! Got my payment for week 2 before any determination letter and I was absolutely convinced TWC had made some kind of mistake. I even called my bank to make sure the deposit was real because it seemed too good to be true. Turns out it's completely normal - TWC's payment system can process and approve benefits as soon as your employer responds without contesting, but their determination letters go through a totally separate (much slower) mail processing system. Since you were laid off from your restaurant manager position, that's typically a very straightforward unemployment case. If there were any issues with your eligibility, trust me, they would NOT have sent you any money. My determination letter finally showed up about 4 weeks after my first payment, and everything matched perfectly. The waiting is nerve-wracking but you're definitely approved if they're paying you. Just keep doing your work searches and certifying every two weeks like you're supposed to. You can breathe easy and use that money - you've earned it!