TWC waiting week payment after returning to work - can I still claim it?

Yes, you can still get your waiting week! When you request payment on Monday, go ahead and report all your work hours and earnings honestly. The TWC system will automatically calculate any partial benefits you might be eligible for. As long as you've received at least 3 benefit payments and weren't disqualified, your waiting week should be processed automatically after this final payment request. Just to be clear though, you won't get paid for the waiting week if you were disqualified for any reason or if you earned too much at your new job during the waiting week period. The system should sort it all out based on your reported earnings.

congrats on the new job!! i had almost the same situation last year. just request payment like normal and be super honest about your work hours. dont try to get extra $ cause they WILL catch you and make you pay it back with penalties!!

The way TWC handles the waiting week can be confusing. Here's the official process: 1. You must complete your waiting week (first week of your claim) 2. You must receive at least 3 payments on your claim 3. You must request payment for the week after your waiting week Since you've already received payments for a month, you should have met these requirements. When you request payment on Monday, just follow the normal process and report your work and earnings. The system will automatically process your waiting week payment after this request is completed. If you've earned too much at your new job during the benefit period that includes your waiting week, you might not receive the waiting week payment. The general rule is that you must be eligible for at least $1 in benefits during the week after your waiting week. Also important: Make sure you continue to complete your work search activities for any weeks you're claiming, even if it's just this final claim period. TWC requires 3 work search activities per week, even for your last payment request.

I'm a little confused about something - doesn't the waiting week get paid automatically? I thought the system just adds it after you've been paid 3 times. Do we actually have to request it specifically??

TWC's system is SO FRUSTRATING! I never got my waiting week paid even after getting 5 payments!!! When I called to ask about it, I got disconnected THREE TIMES and then when I finally got someone they said I wasn't eligible because I worked part-time during my second week. But that makes NO SENSE since I reported those earnings and still got partial benefits that week!! Their rules are constantly changing and the representatives give different answers depending on who you talk to. Good luck getting through to anyone who actually knows what they're talking about!!!

If you're worried about getting through to TWC to check on your waiting week payment, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation last month and kept getting busy signals when calling TWC. Claimyr got me connected to a TWC rep in about 20 minutes instead of spending days trying to get through. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh The agent I spoke with confirmed my waiting week was being processed and explained exactly when I would receive it. Saved me a ton of stress wondering if it would come through.

this happened to me last year and i got my waiting week payment like 2 weeks after my final request. just be patient, twc is slow lol

Just to follow up on what others have said - make sure you understand that your waiting week payment might be reduced based on your new job's earnings. TWC uses what they call "proportionate reduction" for any week where you work part-time. So if your new job's earnings reduce your normal weekly benefit amount by 50%, your waiting week payment would also be reduced by 50%. And remember that TWC requires you to report all work and earnings for the actual week the work was performed, not when you get paid. So if you started work on February 17, you'll need to report those hours when you request payment on February 24. If the system doesn't automatically process your waiting week after your final payment request, you might need to contact TWC directly. Expect some delay, but it should come through eventually.

i think everyones making this way more complicated than it is. just do your payment request normally and the waiting week comes later automatically. thats it. u dont need to do anything special

Thanks everyone for all the advice! I'll go ahead and do my regular payment request on Monday, report my work hours honestly, and wait for the waiting week to process. Sounds like I might need to be patient since it could take a couple weeks to show up after my final request. I appreciate all the help!

Just wanted to add one more thing that might help - if you're concerned about tracking your waiting week payment, I'd recommend taking a screenshot of your current claim balance and payment history before you submit your final request on Monday. That way you'll have a clear "before" picture to compare against when the waiting week payment processes. Also, don't worry if your final payment request shows $0 or a very small amount due to your new job earnings - that's totally normal and won't affect your waiting week eligibility as long as you've already received those 3 payments. The waiting week payment is based on your original benefit amount, not what you might get for this final week. Good luck with the new job and hope everything processes smoothly for you!

One thing I wanted to mention that I don't think anyone covered yet - make sure you keep doing your work search activities for this final week even though you're employed now. I made the mistake of thinking I didn't need to do them since I had a job, but TWC still requires 3 work search activities for any week you're requesting payment for. I almost got dinged for that when they audited my claim later. Also, if for some reason your waiting week doesn't show up automatically after a few weeks, don't panic. Sometimes there are glitches in the system or delays in processing. I'd give it at least 3-4 weeks before contacting TWC, since they're usually pretty backed up and it can take time for everything to process through their system. Congrats on landing the new job! Sounds like you handled everything the right way.

Hey Amina! Just wanted to share my experience since I went through almost the exact same situation a few months ago. I started a new job while still having one final payment request to make, and I was worried about the waiting week too. What ended up happening was I did my final payment request exactly like you're planning - reported all my new job hours and earnings honestly. Even though I earned too much that week to get any regular benefits, my waiting week payment still came through about 2.5 weeks later. It showed up as a separate deposit and was for my full weekly benefit amount (not reduced by my new job earnings since the waiting week was from before I started working). The key thing is just being completely honest on that final request. The system really does handle the waiting week automatically once you've met all the requirements, which it sounds like you have. Don't stress about it - just focus on your new job and the money should follow! One last tip: if you have direct deposit set up, make sure that account is still active even after you stop claiming. That's how they'll send the waiting week payment when it processes.

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who works in employment law - you're absolutely on the right track! The waiting week payment is one of those things that causes a lot of confusion, but Texas law is pretty clear about it. As long as you've received at least 3 benefit payments and you remain eligible for benefits during the week following your waiting week, you should receive it. The fact that you're now employed doesn't disqualify you from the waiting week payment, since that payment is for a week that occurred before you started your new job. When you file your final request on Monday, just report everything accurately and the system should process the waiting week automatically within 2-3 weeks. One thing to keep in mind: if there are any issues or delays beyond 4 weeks, you have the right to request a review of your claim. TWC is required to provide written notice if they deny your waiting week payment for any reason. But based on what you've described, everything sounds like it should process smoothly. Congratulations on the new position - sounds like you handled your unemployment claim exactly the right way!

I went through this exact same situation last month and wanted to share what happened with my waiting week payment. I started a new job while I still had one more payment request to make, and I was super worried I'd lose out on the waiting week money. Here's what actually happened: I did my final payment request like normal, reported all my new job hours and earnings (even though it meant I got $0 for that final week), and then about 3 weeks later the waiting week payment just appeared in my account as a separate deposit. It was for the full amount too - not reduced by my new job earnings since the waiting week was from before I started working. The most important thing is just being completely honest when you report your work hours on Monday. Don't try to hide anything or game the system. TWC's computers are pretty good at figuring out what you're owed once you've met all the requirements, which it sounds like you definitely have. Also make sure your direct deposit info stays active even after you stop claiming - that's how they'll send the waiting week payment when it processes. Good luck with the new job and don't stress too much about this - it should work out fine!