When to request TWC waiting week - after exhausting benefits or on next filing date?

You request your waiting week AFTER you have exhausted all your regular benefits and have received your final payment. So in your case, after you request payment on May 23rd and receive that final payment, you would request your waiting week on your next scheduled filing date (even though you don't have regular benefits left). The system will know you're eligible for your waiting week at that point. Keep in mind you must have returned to work full-time or earned wages equal to at least 3x your weekly benefit amount to qualify for the waiting week payment. If you haven't returned to work yet, you won't be eligible.

i had same question last month! you have to wait until all ur benefits are gone and ALSO have to be working again b4 u can get that week. its annoying cause i thought i would get it right away when i ran out but nope. u gotta have a job first

You got me worried now LOL. I exhausted my benefits 3 weeks ago and haven't requested the waiting week yet. No one told me I had to do it on a specific day!

I went through this exact situation in March. After I exhausted benefits, I continued filing on my regular request date just like normal. The system automatically processed it as a waiting week request instead of a regular payment request. However, here's the important part: You MUST have returned to work to receive the waiting week payment. The law requires you to have either: 1) Returned to full-time work, OR 2) Earned wages equal to at least 3 times your weekly benefit amount If you haven't satisfied either of those requirements, the system will hold your waiting week payment until you do. Then you'll need to contact TWC to have it released. I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach a TWC agent faster. I was in the same boat - stuck on hold for hours - until I tried their service. They got me connected with an agent in about 20 minutes who explained the whole waiting week process to me. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh

wait i thought the waiting week was just the first week you filed for unemployment and they didn't pay you for it?? are you saying we actually get that money back later??

Ok i went thru this in February so let me explain my experience. You DO request it on your next regular filing date after benefits are gone. But heres the catch - they wont actually PAY you that waiting week until youve found a job AND earned 3x your weekly benefit amount. For me that was around $1200 i had to earn before they released that waiting week payment. So request it on schedule, but dont expect to see the money until you meet the work/earnings requirement and then call them to release it.

The TWC system is deliberately designed to be confusing and make it harder for people to get all the benefits they're entitled to! They know that many people won't understand the waiting week process or will forget about it after they find work. In 2023, almost 47% of eligible claimants NEVER received their waiting week payment because they either didn't know to request it or didn't realize they had to meet the return-to-work requirement first. ALWAYS request your waiting week on your next scheduled filing date after benefits exhaust, then follow up with TWC after you've started working. Don't let them keep your money!!!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! So it sounds like I should: 1. Make my final regular payment request on May 23rd 2. Request the waiting week on my next filing date (June 6th) even though I don't have a job yet 3. Once I find work and earn 3x my weekly benefit amount, contact TWC to release the waiting week payment I really appreciate all the help. The TWC website and paperwork definitely don't make this clear!

Just want to add another important detail that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure you keep all your documentation from when you first filed your claim! TWC sometimes asks for proof of your original claim date and waiting week when you request the payment later. I had to dig through old emails to find my confirmation from when I first applied. Also, if you're doing gig work or freelance work while job hunting, that income can count toward the 3x weekly benefit requirement. It doesn't have to be traditional W-2 employment. Just make sure you report any earnings accurately when you call to request the waiting week release. The whole system is unnecessarily complicated, but at least now you know what to expect. Don't give up on getting that money - it's yours!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation and had no idea about the return-to-work requirement for getting the waiting week payment. I've been unemployed for 4 months and getting close to exhausting my benefits too. One question - does anyone know if part-time work counts toward that 3x weekly benefit requirement? My weekly benefit amount is $521, so I'd need to earn about $1,563. If I can only find part-time work initially, will that count as long as I eventually hit that earnings threshold? Or does it have to be full-time employment specifically? Also wondering if anyone has experience with how long it takes TWC to actually process and send the waiting week payment once you call them after meeting the work requirement. I'm trying to plan my finances accordingly since this whole process seems to take forever with TWC!

I just went through this process last month and wanted to share my experience to help clear up some confusion. The timing is crucial - you request your waiting week on your next scheduled filing date AFTER you've exhausted all regular benefits, just like everyone said. But here's what I learned the hard way: even after you meet the work requirement and call TWC, they might ask you to provide proof of employment or pay stubs. I got a part-time job and earned the required amount (3x my weekly benefit), but when I called to request the waiting week release, they wanted documentation showing my start date and earnings. Luckily I had kept my pay stubs, but it delayed my payment by another week while they reviewed everything. Also, if you're job hunting now, start keeping a detailed log of your applications and interviews. TWC sometimes asks about your work search efforts when processing the waiting week, especially if there's been a long gap between exhausting benefits and finding work. Better to be over-prepared than caught off guard like I was! The whole system is frustrating but that waiting week payment is definitely worth the hassle. Just make sure you dot all your i's and cross all your t's when dealing with TWC.