TWC waiting week confusion - is it included in my final benefits amount?

The waiting week payment is completely separate from your regular benefit amount. Your $272 remaining balance is just for your last regular payment. After that's exhausted, you'll be able to request payment for your waiting week, which will be an additional payment equal to your weekly benefit amount (assuming you meet all eligibility requirements for that week). So you'll actually get two more payments - your final regular payment of $272, and then the waiting week payment.

I think the waiting week counts as part of your benefits??? When I finished my benefits last year the system automatically added the waiting week to my last payment, at least I think that's what happened. The website is so confusing!! Have you checked if you qualify for an extension?

I just went thru this last month!! Your waiting week is separate. After you request your final payment and your balance goes to $0, you'll have one more payment request period where you can request your waiting week. Make sure you keep doing your work searches even after your regular benefits run out or you won't get the waiting week payment!

When I was on unemployment they NEVER paid my waiting week even though I requested it twice and sent messages through the portal. TWC is such a joke honestly

For me getting through to TWC was the key to resolving this exact issue. I was in the same situation last month. I kept calling the main number and getting nowhere until I tried Claimyr.com - it got me connected to an actual TWC agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh The agent confirmed that yes, I would get my waiting week payment AFTER my regular benefits were exhausted, and she also explained exactly what I needed to do to make sure I received it. Much better than trying to figure it out from their confusing website.

To clarify the Texas TWC waiting week process: 1. The waiting week is the first week of your claim that meets eligibility requirements 2. It is NOT paid until after you have received benefits equal to 3 times your weekly benefit amount 3. It is NOT part of your maximum benefit amount (MBA) - it's in addition to that 4. After your balance reaches $0, you'll need to make one more payment request during your regular scheduled time 5. You must continue meeting eligibility requirements (including work search) for that waiting week to be paid 6. The payment will equal one full weekly benefit amount So yes, you'll get your final $272 regular payment, and then you'll be able to request your waiting week payment separately. Just make sure you're still doing your work search activities during that final week.

i had this same question and kept getting differnt answers from people! the twc website is absolutely useless on this topic lol. glad u asked here bc now i know for my own situation too

Wait I just remembered something else - don't forget to apply for SNAP if you're about to run out of unemployment! They're pretty quick with approvals these days and you might qualify for the maximum amount if you have no income. Texas Health and Human Services has an online application.

Just want to add that you should definitely keep all your documentation handy when you request that waiting week payment! I had to provide proof of my job search activities for that specific week even though it was from months earlier. TWC asked for my work search log and contact information for the employers I applied to during my waiting week. Luckily I had kept good records, but it would have been a nightmare if I hadn't. So make sure you can still access your records from that first week of your claim!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation where I'm down to my last payment and was so confused about the waiting week. Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like the key points are: 1. Keep doing work searches even after benefits run out 2. Request the waiting week during your regular payment request period after balance hits $0 3. Keep all documentation from that first week handy One thing I'm wondering though - has anyone had issues with the TWC system not showing the waiting week request option after benefits are exhausted? I've heard some people say the option never appeared for them in their online account.

I'm currently in the exact same boat - down to my last payment and was panicking about the waiting week! This thread has been a lifesaver. I've been unemployed for about 5 months now and have been dreading running out of benefits, but knowing I'll get that extra waiting week payment is such a relief. One question for those who've been through this - after you request your final regular payment and your balance goes to $0, how long does it typically take for the waiting week request option to show up in your account? I'm trying to plan my timeline since I know timing is crucial for not missing that request window. Also, has anyone had luck with the TWC mobile app for requesting the waiting week, or is it better to use the desktop website? I've noticed the mobile app sometimes doesn't show all the same options as the full website.

This has been such an informative thread! I'm actually about 3 weeks away from exhausting my benefits and had no idea how the waiting week worked. I've been stressing about my budget planning, but now I know I can count on that extra payment. Quick question for everyone - I've been doing my work searches through the TWC Work in Texas website mostly, but I also apply directly on company websites and through Indeed. When they ask for documentation of that waiting week, do I need to show proof from the Work in Texas system specifically, or will screenshots of my Indeed applications and email confirmations from company career pages work too? I want to make sure I have the right kind of documentation ready since that waiting week was so long ago. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is honestly more helpful than the actual TWC website!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm actually in the middle of this exact situation right now - just requested what should be my final regular payment last week and have been anxiously waiting to see how the waiting week process works. Based on everyone's helpful responses here, I feel much more confident about what to expect. I've been keeping detailed records of all my job search activities since day one (learned that lesson from reading horror stories on here!), so I should be good on the documentation front. One thing I wanted to add for future people in this situation - I noticed that my TWC account shows a "Benefit Year End Date" and a separate "Maximum Benefit Amount" on the main dashboard. Even when your balance gets low, you can see exactly how much you have left versus what your total benefit amount was. This helped me realize that the waiting week payment would indeed be separate from that maximum amount, which matches what everyone has explained here. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - especially @Andre Laurent for that super clear breakdown! This community really fills in the gaps where TWC's official information falls short.

I'm a newcomer here but I'm so grateful I found this thread! I'm literally in the exact same situation as the original poster - down to my last $272 payment and completely confused about how the waiting week works. Reading through everyone's responses has been incredibly helpful and honestly way more informative than anything I could find on the TWC website or after spending hours on hold trying to reach someone. It's such a relief to know that I'll actually get TWO more payments instead of just one! I especially appreciate @Andre Laurent's detailed breakdown of the process and @Maya Diaz sharing the timeline of when the waiting week option appeared in their account. I've been stressing about my budget planning for next month, but now I know I can count on that additional payment. One quick question - I've been doing most of my job searches through LinkedIn and company websites rather than the Work in Texas portal. Should I be worried about having the right documentation for that waiting week from months ago? I do have screenshots and email confirmations saved, but I'm not sure if TWC has specific requirements about what kind of proof they accept. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences here. This community is honestly amazing!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who recently went through this exact process! I was in the same boat a few months ago - down to my last payment and completely confused about the waiting week. After reading through all these helpful responses, I can confirm that everything @Andre Laurent laid out is spot on. You'll definitely get your final $272 payment AND then be able to request your waiting week payment separately. The waiting week option showed up in my account about 48 hours after my regular benefits balance hit $0, just like @Maya Diaz mentioned. One thing I'd add - make sure you keep doing your work searches consistently even after your regular benefits run out! I almost slipped up on this because I thought I was "done" with unemployment requirements, but you absolutely need to maintain eligibility for that waiting week or they won't pay it. Also, definitely use the desktop website instead of the mobile app when the time comes to request it. The mobile app gave me issues throughout my entire claim period. Hope this helps ease some of your stress about budgeting for next month! That extra waiting week payment really does make a difference when you're transitioning off unemployment benefits.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience with the waiting week since I literally just went through this exact situation last month! I was down to my final $280 payment and panicking about the same thing - whether I'd get one more payment or two. After reading tons of conflicting information online, I finally got through to a TWC representative who confirmed what everyone here is saying: the waiting week is completely separate and you'll get it AFTER your regular benefits are exhausted. Here's what actually happened for me: 1. Made my final regular payment request and balance went to $0 2. About 36 hours later, the waiting week request option appeared in my account 3. I requested it during my normal payment request window (mine was Sunday-Tuesday) 4. Got paid the full weekly benefit amount about 3 days later The key things that helped me were keeping up with work searches even after my regular benefits ended, using the desktop website instead of mobile app, and having all my documentation from that very first week saved and organized. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to piece this information together from community forums instead of getting clear guidance from TWC directly, but I'm so grateful for threads like this! That extra payment really helped bridge the gap while I was transitioning to new employment.

I'm new to this community and just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to this thread! I'm in almost the exact same situation - have about $300 left in my benefits and was completely panicking about what happens next. The TWC website is absolutely useless for explaining this stuff clearly. Reading through all these responses has been such a relief. I had no idea the waiting week was separate from my regular benefits balance, and I was budgeting thinking I only had one more payment coming. Knowing I'll actually get TWO more payments (my final regular payment plus the waiting week) is going to make such a difference for my planning. I especially appreciate @Andre Laurent's clear breakdown and everyone sharing their actual timelines. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread to reference when I get to that point in a couple weeks. One thing I'm wondering - has anyone had experience with the waiting week if you've had any weeks during your claim where you worked part-time and had reduced benefits? I had a few weeks where I picked up some temporary work but still qualified for partial unemployment. Just curious if that affects the waiting week payment at all or if it's always the full weekly benefit amount regardless.

Hey everyone! I'm new to this community and just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this thread has been! I'm actually in a very similar situation to the original poster - I have about $240 left in my TWC benefits and have been so confused about how the waiting week works. Reading through all of your experiences has been such a relief! I had no idea that the waiting week was completely separate from my regular benefit balance. I was stressing thinking I only had one more payment coming, but now I understand I'll get my final regular payment AND then the waiting week payment after that. @Andre Laurent - thank you so much for that detailed breakdown! That cleared up everything for me. And @Maya Diaz and @Kyle Wallace, hearing your actual timelines about when the waiting week option appeared (24-48 hours after balance hits $0) is super helpful for planning. I've been keeping pretty good records of my job search activities, but I'm definitely going to go back and make sure I have solid documentation from that very first week saved and organized. It sounds like having that ready is crucial just in case TWC asks for it. One quick question - I've been doing most of my job applications through Indeed and company websites rather than the Work in Texas portal. Based on what everyone's shared, it sounds like screenshots and email confirmations from those sources should be fine for documentation, right? Just want to make sure I'm not missing anything important! Thanks again to everyone for sharing your real experiences. This community is honestly so much more helpful than trying to navigate TWC's confusing website on your own!

I'm new to this community but SO glad I found this thread! I'm literally in the exact same situation as the original poster - I have $285 left in my TWC benefits and was completely freaking out about what happens next. The TWC website is absolutely terrible at explaining any of this clearly. This whole conversation has been incredibly reassuring! I had no idea the waiting week was separate from my regular benefit balance. I was budgeting thinking I only had one more payment left, but understanding that I'll get my final regular payment PLUS the waiting week payment afterwards is such a huge relief for my financial planning. @Andre Laurent - your step-by-step breakdown was perfect and answered every question I had! And everyone sharing their actual experiences and timelines has been invaluable. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread to reference in a couple weeks when I hit that final payment stage. I've been pretty good about keeping job search records, but reading @Anastasia Ivanova's comment about needing documentation from that very first week has me wanting to double-check that I have everything organized properly. I think I have screenshots and emails saved, but I'm going to make sure everything from my waiting week is clearly documented and easy to find. Thanks to everyone for creating such a helpful resource here! This community really fills the gaps where TWC's official information completely fails us.

I'm new to this community and just stumbled across this thread while desperately searching for answers about my own situation! I have about $250 left in my TWC benefits and was having the exact same panic about the waiting week. This entire conversation has been absolutely amazing - I can't believe how much more helpful everyone's real experiences are compared to the official TWC resources. @Andre Laurent, your detailed breakdown should honestly be pinned somewhere because it explains everything so clearly! And hearing the actual timelines from @Maya Diaz, @Kyle Wallace, and @Mei Zhang about when the waiting week option appears (24-48 hours after balance hits $0) is incredibly valuable for planning purposes. I feel so much better knowing I'll get my final regular payment AND the waiting week payment afterwards. I was budgeting for just one more payment and starting to stress about next month's expenses. One thing I wanted to add that might help others - I noticed in my TWC account there's a section that shows your "Benefit Year Begin Date" and "Benefit Year End Date." Even though you might be running out of your regular benefit balance, your benefit year doesn't end until a full year from when you first filed. This helped me understand why the waiting week payment is still available even after regular benefits are exhausted - you're still within your benefit year period. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and making this confusing process so much clearer!

I'm new to this community but wow, this thread has been exactly what I needed! I'm in almost the identical situation - have about $290 left in my TWC benefits and was completely stressed about what comes next. The TWC website is so confusing about this whole waiting week process. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief! I had no idea the waiting week payment was separate from my regular benefit balance. I was planning my budget thinking I only had one final payment coming, but now I understand I'll actually get that last regular payment PLUS the waiting week payment after my balance hits zero. @Andre Laurent - thank you for that incredibly clear step-by-step breakdown! That answered every single question I had. And hearing the real timelines from @Maya Diaz and others about the waiting week option appearing 24-48 hours after your balance reaches $0 is so helpful for knowing when to check my account. I've been keeping decent records of my job searches, but after reading @Anastasia Ivanova's comment about needing documentation from that very first week, I'm definitely going to spend some time this weekend organizing everything from my waiting week period. Better to be over-prepared than scrambling later! This community is honestly incredible - you all have provided clearer information in one thread than I could find anywhere on the official TWC website. Thanks for making such a stressful process so much more understandable!