TWC payment request confusion - reporting wages when pay is held back for 2 weeks

You need to report the wages for the week you WORKED, not when you got paid. TWC goes by when you earned the money, not when it hits your bank account. So if you worked this week, report those hours/wages on this week's payment request, even if your actual paycheck won't come for another 2+ weeks. This is one of the most common mistakes people make with unemployment. If you don't report accurately, TWC might determine you were overpaid benefits and demand repayment later.

omg i had this EXACT same issue last year!! its so confusing right?? you def report when u worked not when u get paid. twc doesnt care about ur payday schedule they just want to know which weeks u actually worked

You absolutely report wages when earned, not when paid. Ask your supervisor for a copy of your timesheet or hours worked so you can calculate your gross wages (before any deductions) to report to TWC. If you can't get the exact amount, make a reasonable estimate based on your hourly rate × hours worked. Keep documentation of your calculations in case TWC has questions later. It's always better to slightly overestimate than underestimate if you're unsure. And remember - this might reduce or eliminate your benefits for the week, depending on how much you earned, but that's normal when transitioning back to work.

The TWC system is SO BROKEN!! I went thru this same nightmare and then got hit with an overpayment notice 6 months later because I reported my wages when I got PAID not when I WORKED. They wanted $2,700 back!!! Had to set up a payment plan and everything. The instructions are super unclear and then they punish YOU for their confusing system!!!

My cousin had this same issue when he started at HEB. Just report what you worked this week. If you're not sure of the exact amount put your best guess and save any documentation.

Since you mentioned not being able to reach TWC, I had the same problem but found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual TWC representative in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They basically keep dialing for you until they get through. Saved me so much stress! Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh The agent I spoke with confirmed exactly what others are saying - you report wages for the week you worked, not when you're paid. The TWC rep also noted that this is one of their most frequent questions.

when I started my new job I jus didn't report nuthin til I got paid but then I had to do a phone interview with TWC later and explain everything... not sure if that was the right way but they didn't make me pay anything back

I worked in payroll for years and can confirm what everyone's saying - you're supposed to report based on when you WORKED those hours, not when they pay you. Your employer will be reporting your wages to TWC quarterly, and those reports show when the work was performed, not when it was paid out. If your reports don't match theirs, that's when problems happen.