TWC waiting week payment after final regular UI request - must I be employed full-time?
I just submitted what should be my last regular unemployment payment request this morning (my benefits are almost exhausted). I've heard something about being able to request a 'waiting week' payment after finding work, but I'm confused about the requirements. Do I need to be working FULL-TIME to request the waiting week payment? I've gotten a part-time position (25 hours/week) starting next Monday. Will that qualify me to request the waiting week? And how long do I need to wait after my final payment request before I can claim it? The TWC website is so confusing on this specific issue!
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Royal_GM_Mark
The waiting week is the first week of your claim that TWC initially doesn't pay you. You can request it after you've either returned to work OR exhausted all your benefits. For your part-time job - yes, you can still request the waiting week even if you're not working full-time. The key requirement is that you've either found employment (full or part-time) OR exhausted your benefits completely. You'll need to wait until you've received your final regular unemployment payment, then log back into your TWC account and look for the option to request your waiting week payment. It should be available within 2-3 days after your final payment processes.
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Jeremiah Brown
•Thank you so much for clarifying! So I don't need to be working 40 hours to qualify? That's a huge relief. I was worried my 25-hour position wouldn't count. Do you know if I need to provide any proof of employment when requesting the waiting week?
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Amelia Cartwright
no u dont need fulltime job 4 the waiting week... i did mine last yr with just a parttime gig. just wait till u get ur last regular payment then go back in & request the waiting week. its easy took me like 5 mins
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Jeremiah Brown
•Thanks for sharing your experience! Was there any verification process? Did they ask for proof of your part-time job?
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Chris King
To clear up any confusion about the waiting week payment from TWC: 1. The waiting week is the first week of your benefit year that's initially unpaid 2. You can request this payment when you've either returned to work (part-time is fine) OR exhausted all benefits 3. You'll need to have received at least three regular payments during your benefit period to qualify 4. Wait until your final regular payment fully processes (usually 2-3 business days after request) 5. Then log back into your TWC account and select the option to request your waiting week The system will guide you through the process. Make sure you have your new employer's information ready, but you generally won't need to upload documentation - they'll verify your employment status through their system.
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Rachel Clark
•This is WRONG! I tried requesting my waiting week after getting a part-time job and TWC DENIED it. They told me I had to be working FULL-TIME. This was just last month! The rules must have changed or something because I'm still fighting with them about it. 😡
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Zachary Hughes
good luck getting anyone at TWC to answer questions about this! i spent 3 weeks trying to reach someone when i had this exact same question and kept getting busy signals or disconnected. finally gave up and just tried requesting it through the portal and it worked but it was super stressful not knowing if i was doing it right
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Mia Alvarez
•I had the same problem trying to reach TWC! I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a TWC rep in about 20 minutes instead of spending days getting busy signals. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh The TWC agent confirmed that part-time work definitely qualifies for the waiting week payment. You just need to have returned to work in some capacity or exhausted benefits completely. Definitely worth getting a definitive answer rather than stressing about it.
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Carter Holmes
When I claimed my waiting week last year it was super easy. Just make sure your new job info is correct because they do verify employment status. And double check your payment method is current in the system!!! Mine almost went to an old account I had removed.
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Jeremiah Brown
•That's a really good point about the payment method! I updated my direct deposit info recently but I should double-check it's active. Did you have to wait a specific amount of time after your last regular payment before the system would let you request the waiting week?
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Royal_GM_Mark
To answer your follow-up question - no, you typically don't need to provide proof of employment when requesting the waiting week. However, TWC may verify your employment status through their employer database or through your new employer's quarterly wage reports. Just make sure you have accurate information about your new employer (company name, address, start date, hourly wage, etc.) when going through the request process. And as someone else mentioned, you need to have received at least three benefit payments during your claim year to be eligible for the waiting week payment.
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Jeremiah Brown
•Perfect - thank you for the detailed information! I've definitely received more than three benefit payments (been on unemployment for about 5 months), so I should qualify. I'll make sure I have all my new employer's information ready when I request it. Really appreciate everyone's help!
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Sophia Long
wait i thought the waiting week was just the first week you apply and dont get paid??? im confused why are you asking about this now if your benefits are ending? did i mess up something with my claim????
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Chris King
•You're partly right! The waiting week IS the first week of your unemployment claim that you initially don't get paid for. However, TWC allows you to get that week paid retroactively once you either: 1. Return to work (part-time or full-time), OR 2. Exhaust all your regular unemployment benefits So the original poster is asking about how to claim that first week's payment now that they're at the end of their benefits and returning to work. You didn't mess anything up - this is just an optional final step people can take to receive payment for that initial unpaid week.
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