TWC identity verification request after months of benefits - normal or suspicious?

Yes thats actually totally normal!! TWC does random identity checks throughout the year even if you've been receiving benefits for months. My bf got one after 4 months last year. Just make sure the email actually came from the real TWC website (the correspondence inbox) and not just a random email that looks similar. The real verification will ask him to use ID.me which is the official verification service.

This is completely normal and happens to many claimants. TWC conducts periodic identity verification checks throughout a benefit claim period as part of their fraud prevention measures. While it may seem odd after receiving benefits for months, it's actually one of their standard procedures. Make sure your husband completes the ID.me verification as soon as possible. Once verified, benefits typically resume within 3-5 business days. The verification process involves uploading identity documents and possibly doing a video call verification if the automated system can't verify his identity. If he encounters any difficulties with the ID.me process, he should contact TWC directly to explain the situation.

For the ID.me verification, he'll definitely need: 1. A valid government-issued photo ID (Texas driver's license works perfectly) 2. Social Security number 3. A smartphone or computer with a camera for the possible video call verification Additional documents that could be helpful to have ready just in case: - Passport (if he has one) - Birth certificate - A recent utility bill showing his name and address The basic verification often just needs the driver's license and SSN, but having the others ready saves time if they ask for secondary verification.

I went through this EXACT thing in January after receiving benefits since November. It's definitely legit but incredibly frustrating timing. TWC has been ramping up fraud prevention since they lost millions to scammers during the pandemic. One important tip: if your husband gets stuck in the ID.me verification process (which happens A LOT), don't waste time with the TWC contact center phone system. It's completely overwhelmed - I spent 3 days trying to get through. I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a TWC agent in about 25 minutes instead of days of redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P88?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh. Saved me a ton of stress when my verification got stuck in pending status.

Did your husband claim any out-of-state wages or did you guys move recently? My boyfriend had this happen and it turned out it was because he had worked in Oklahoma for part of his base period, so they did an extra identity check after a couple months. Also sometimes they do this if there's a claim from someone with a similar name or SSN in their system.

the same tihng happened to me last year and yep its normal BUT make sure he gets it done ASAP! they give u like 5 days to complete it or they can shut ur whole claim down and u have to appeal to get it reopened which is a NIGHTMARE trust me lol

id.me was pretty easy for me but some ppl get stuck in the video verification part. if hes got a clear photo ID and good lighting it should go quick. took me like 15min total

They did this to me too!!! I swear TWC just likes to make our lives difficult lol. My verification was triggered because someone with my same name filed in FLORIDA the same time I was on TX unemployment. Took almost 2 weeks to sort out and I missed a payment. So annoying!!

When my sister had to verify through ID.me, she found out there's actually two parts to the process - first is the ID.me verification itself, then there's sometimes a delay before TWC processes that verification on their end. Just a heads up that even after he successfully completes ID.me, it might take TWC a few days to update his account status.

It updated automatically after about 3 days, but I've heard others say they had to call. Probably depends on how backlogged the system is. If it's been more than 4-5 business days after completing ID.me with no change to his account status, then definitely call.

Just wanted to add one important thing: while waiting for the ID verification to process, your husband should STILL submit his payment requests on his regular scheduled days, even though payments will be held. This way, once the verification is complete, TWC can release those held payments without further delay. If he misses his payment request schedule, it creates additional complications.

I actually work for a company that helps people with unemployment issues, and I can confirm this is 100% normal! TWC has been doing these periodic identity verification checks more frequently since 2020 due to increased fraud concerns. The timing might seem random, but it's usually triggered by their automated fraud detection algorithms - could be anything from payment patterns, IP address changes, or even just routine audits. Don't worry about it being suspicious if it came through the official TWC correspondence system. One thing I'd recommend is taking screenshots of the verification request and any confirmation emails throughout the process. This can be helpful if there are any delays or issues later. Also, make sure your husband uses the same personal information (name spelling, address, etc.) that's on file with TWC when completing the ID.me verification to avoid any mismatches that could cause delays. The good news is that once this verification is complete, he's unlikely to be asked again for quite a while!

This exact thing happened to my cousin in December! She had been collecting since September with no issues, then boom - identity verification request out of nowhere. She was panicking thinking it was a scam too, but it was totally legit. The whole process took her about a week from start to finish. The ID.me part was pretty quick (maybe 20 minutes), but then TWC took a few days to process it on their end. She did the video verification which was annoying but straightforward - just had to hold up her license to the camera and answer some basic questions. Her payments resumed automatically once everything cleared. The key thing is don't stress about it being "suspicious" timing - apparently they run these checks based on all kinds of algorithms we don't see. Better to get it done quickly than worry about why now!

I went through this same situation back in February! Had been collecting since November with zero issues, then suddenly got the identity verification request. I was so confused and worried it was some kind of mistake. Turns out it's completely routine - TWC explained to me that they do these checks at different intervals as part of their ongoing fraud prevention. It's not based on anything you did wrong, just their internal system flagging accounts for periodic review. The ID.me process was actually pretty smooth once I got started. Just make sure your husband has good lighting and a steady hand when taking photos of his documents. I had to redo the photo of my driver's license twice because it was blurry the first time. One tip: do it during normal business hours if possible. I tried late at night and got stuck waiting for the video verification person for like 30 minutes. When I did it again the next morning, got connected immediately. His benefits should resume within a few days once everything processes. Don't let the timing freak you out - it's just how their system works!

I just went through this exact same thing two weeks ago! Been on unemployment since November and got the identity verification request completely out of the blue in late March. I was so worried it was a scam or that I had done something wrong. Turns out it's totally normal - TWC does these random checks throughout benefit periods as part of their fraud prevention system. The timing really is random and doesn't mean anything is wrong with your claim. The ID.me process itself was pretty straightforward. I did the document upload first (driver's license and took a selfie), then had to do a brief video call with a verification agent. The whole thing took maybe 25 minutes. Make sure he has his documents ready and does it somewhere with good wifi and lighting. The annoying part is waiting for TWC to process it on their end - took about 4 days for my account to show as verified and payments to resume. But once it cleared, I got all the held payments released at once. Don't stress about the timing, it really is just their standard procedure even though it feels weird getting it after months of smooth payments!

I just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago! I was collecting benefits for about 3 months when I suddenly got the identity verification request, and like you, I was immediately suspicious about the timing. After going through the whole process and talking to a TWC representative, I learned that these verification requests are actually part of their ongoing fraud prevention system. They use algorithms that can trigger verification checks at any point during your benefit period - it could be based on payment patterns, geographic data, or just random audits. The timing really has nothing to do with anything you've done wrong. The ID.me verification took me about 20 minutes total. I did have to do the video call portion, but the agent was very professional and it was pretty quick. The trickiest part was making sure my driver's license photo was clear enough - take your time with that step! One thing I wish someone had told me: even though the ID.me verification completed successfully right away, it took TWC about 5 business days to actually process it and release my held payments. So don't panic if his account doesn't update immediately after completing the verification. Your husband should definitely still submit his payment requests on schedule during this time like others have mentioned. Once everything clears, those held payments will all be released together. Good luck with the process!

I went through this same thing just last month! Got the identity verification request after being on benefits since December - totally freaked me out at first because the timing seemed so random. But it's definitely legitimate and pretty common. One thing I learned that might help: TWC actually has quotas for these verification checks that they have to meet throughout the year for compliance reasons. So sometimes it really is just bad luck timing when your account gets flagged for review. Has nothing to do with anything suspicious on your end. The ID.me process was honestly not as bad as I expected. Make sure your husband does it on a computer rather than his phone if possible - the document upload works much better. And definitely do it during daytime hours with good lighting. I made the mistake of trying it at night and the camera couldn't read my license clearly. Also heads up - after he completes the ID.me verification, he'll get a confirmation email, but don't expect his TWC account to update immediately. Mine took about 6 days to show as verified, and then payments resumed automatically. The waiting is the worst part, but hang in there!

I just wanted to add another voice of reassurance here - this happened to me too back in January after collecting benefits since October! I was completely blindsided by the timing and honestly thought something was wrong with my claim. Turns out TWC has really ramped up these identity verification checks as part of their fraud prevention efforts. What I found interesting is that when I called to ask about it, the rep told me they actually verify a certain percentage of active claims each month regardless of how long someone has been collecting. So it really is just random selection, not anything you did. The ID.me process was pretty painless - took about 15 minutes including the video verification call. The agent was friendly and just had me hold up my license and confirm some basic info. My biggest tip: make sure your husband's TWC account information (especially name spelling and address) matches exactly what's on his driver's license before starting the verification. Any mismatches can cause delays. After completing ID.me, it took about 4 business days for my TWC account to show as verified and for payments to resume. All my held payments were released in one batch, so no money was lost - just delayed. Don't let the timing stress you out too much. It really is standard procedure, even though they could definitely communicate that better to claimants!