TWC keeps saying 'reviewing my claim' after seasonal work breaks - ID verification finally fixed it
Anyone else have experience with seasonal work filing? I've been working at a school for 3 years now but take off during Christmas break and summer (no pay during these periods). I always file for unemployment during these breaks and never had issues before. This time I filed 2 weeks ago, and my claim is STILL showing 'under review' on the TWC portal. Usually it gets processed within a few days! I've called about 50 times and can't get through to anyone. Is there some kind of system glitch happening right now? UPDATE: Finally figured it out! TWC needed me to verify my identity this time even though I've filed the exact same claim multiple times before. Once I completed the ID verification, my claim started processing. If you're stuck in review limbo, check if you have an identity verification requirement in your correspondence tab!
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Andre Dubois
I went through this exact same thing last summer! The TWC system randomly flags accounts for ID verification even if you've been filing the same seasonal claim for years. It's super frustrating because they don't always send a clear notification about needing the verification. Did you get an email or just find it in your correspondence tab?
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Carmen Flores
•I didn't get ANY notification! That's what was so confusing. No email, no text, nothing in my inbox on the portal until I dug into the correspondence tab and found something called an "Identity Verification Request" dated the day after I filed. Really wish they'd make these things more obvious.
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CyberSamurai
same thing happnd to me last month!! the TWC system is SO glitchy these days. nobody tells u anything and then u just sit there wondering whats going on. glad u figured it out tho
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Carmen Flores
•Thanks! Yeah it's super frustrating when you're waiting for that money to come through and have no idea why it's delayed. Have you had any other glitches with TWC lately?
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Zoe Alexopoulos
This is actually a new security measure TWC implemented in 2024, not a glitch. Because of the massive fraud during COVID, they now randomly select returning claimants for identity verification, even if you've filed before without issues. For seasonal workers, there's also an additional review to verify your return-to-work date is valid and that you qualify under the "reasonable assurance" guidelines for school employees. Tip: When you know you'll be filing seasonally, check your correspondence tab DAILY for the first week after filing. Identity verification requests must be completed within 7 days or your claim gets automatically denied.
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Jamal Carter
•wait but school employees arent supposed to get unemployment during breaks anyway??? i thought there was some rule about that?
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Mei Liu
The TWC system is BEYOND BROKEN!! I've been trying to reach them for THREE WEEKS about my claim that's been "under review" since January. EVERY SINGLE TIME I call, it's busy signals or getting disconnected after waiting an hour. Meanwhile bills are piling up and they don't care AT ALL!! Why don't they hire more people?? The whole system is designed to frustrate people enough to give up on their benefits. RIDICULOUS!!!!
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Liam O'Donnell
•I was in your exact situation last month - couldn't get through for weeks. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a TWC agent in about 20 minutes instead of calling for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh It was the only way I finally got my identity verification issue resolved. The TWC agent I spoke with said they're massively understaffed right now and getting hundreds of thousands of calls daily.
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Amara Nwosu
hey i also work at a school (cafeteria) and file every break. never had trouble before but this summer it took like 3 weeks for my claim to get approved. didnt have to do id verification tho, just waited forever. tried calling but gave up after 2 days lol
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Carmen Flores
•That's interesting - maybe they're just backed up in general then? Did you get any explanation for why yours took 3 weeks when you finally got approved?
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Andre Dubois
Quick question for everyone here - I've been submitting payment requests while my claim is still "under review" - is that the right thing to do? Or should I wait until the claim is approved first? I'm so confused about the process and don't want to mess anything up.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•Yes, definitely continue requesting payments even while your claim is under review! This is one of the most common mistakes people make. You should request payment for every eligible week according to your payment request schedule, even if your claim hasn't been approved yet. If you skip requesting payments, you might not get back pay for those weeks once your claim is approved.
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Jamal Carter
I had same problem and fixed it by going to the TWC office in person! Waited about 2 hours but at least got it fixed same day instead of waiting forever on the phone
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Carmen Flores
•That's a good tip! Which TWC office did you go to? Was it crowded? I might try that next time instead of dealing with the phone system.
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Liam O'Donnell
Just to add some helpful information for others: for seasonal school employees, TWC requires you to upload documentation showing your return-to-work date. This helps verify that you have "reasonable assurance" of returning after the break, which is required for eligibility. You'll want an official letter from your school stating your employment terms and specific return date. Also, remember that you still need to do the 3 work search activities each week, even though you have a job to return to. I've seen claims delayed because people think seasonal workers are exempt from work search - they're not!
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Carmen Flores
•Thanks for this! I did upload my letter from HR showing my return date, but maybe that's what triggered the extra verification? And yes, I've been doing my work search activities every week (even though it seems silly when I already have a job to return to).
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