I'm really glad you found this thread and got such comprehensive answers! I went through this exact same situation last year - dealing with TWC overpayment deductions while having to withdraw from my 401K to make ends meet. The stress was absolutely overwhelming, but I can confirm what everyone else has told you: your 401K withdrawal will NOT impact your unemployment benefits at all. What really saved my sanity was understanding that TWC makes a clear distinction between "earned income" (wages from work) and retirement distributions. Your withdrawal falls under retirement distributions, so it doesn't count against your weekly benefit calculations. Your $349 payments will continue exactly as they are. A few things that helped me get through it: - I got that written overpayment balance statement from TWC (game changer for planning!) - Set aside 30% of the withdrawal amount immediately for taxes/penalties - Used part of the withdrawal to create a small buffer fund for the weeks when bills were tightest - Was completely transparent with TWC when I called - they actually appreciated the honesty The combination of reduced benefits plus financial stress is really tough, but you're making smart decisions to get through a temporary crisis. Once your overpayment is cleared, you'll be back to full $465 weekly payments. You're using your own money to survive - there's absolutely nothing wrong with that approach during an emergency like this!

I'm so sorry you're going through this incredibly stressful situation - the combination of overpayment deductions and financial uncertainty is really overwhelming, but I have some good news that should help ease your worries! Your 401K withdrawal will absolutely NOT affect your TWC unemployment benefits. I went through something very similar about 8 months ago when I had to withdraw from my retirement account while dealing with overpayment deductions from a 2020 reporting error, so I completely understand your anxiety. Here's what you need to know: - TWC only counts "earned income" from actual work against your benefits - your 401K withdrawal is classified as a retirement distribution, which is completely different - Your current $349 weekly payments will continue exactly as they are - You don't need to report the withdrawal on your biweekly payment request forms - The overpayment deduction timeline won't change at all When I called TWC about my situation, I mentioned the withdrawal upfront and the representative actually thanked me for being transparent. They confirmed it wouldn't impact my benefits and it seemed to build trust in their system. Two things that really helped me: First, get a written statement of your remaining overpayment balance from TWC so you know exactly when those deductions will end. Second, set aside about 30% of your $8,000 withdrawal immediately for taxes and the 10% early withdrawal penalty you'll face next year - don't let that catch you off guard like it almost did to me! You're doing exactly what you need to do to survive a tough financial situation. This is literally what retirement accounts are designed for during genuine emergencies. Focus on the fact that your unemployment benefits are secure and you have a plan to get through this temporary rough patch. You've got this!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I was denied for insufficient wages after doing various gig work (Instacart, pet sitting, and some consulting) between my claims. One thing I wanted to add that might help others - when you're gathering your documentation, don't forget about any 1099-NECs you might have received. I got a few from clients who paid me over $600, and those are direct proof of reported income that TWC should easily be able to verify. Also, if you used any business expense tracking apps like MileIQ or Stride during your gig work period, those can help show the legitimate business nature of your activities. I know it might seem like overkill, but every piece of documentation helps paint the picture that this was real work, not just casual side income. The stress of waiting for an appeal is awful, but reading all these success stories is giving me hope. Anita, it sounds like you have a really strong case with your Schedule C filings and the amount you earned. Keeping my fingers crossed for both of us!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I was starting to panic about my own situation but seeing all these success stories is giving me hope. I'm in almost the exact same boat - denied for insufficient wages after doing freelance social media work and pet sitting between claims. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is keeping copies of your business licenses or permits if you had any during your self-employment period. I had a basic business license for my freelance work that might help show the legitimacy of my income. Also, for anyone dealing with payment apps like Venmo - make sure you export the full transaction history as a PDF or CSV file rather than just screenshots. The detailed export shows more information and looks more professional for the hearing. Anita, your case sounds really solid since you properly filed your Schedule C returns. That's going to be your strongest piece of evidence. I'm rooting for you and everyone else going through this stressful process! Has anyone had experience with virtual hearings vs. in-person? I'm wondering if one format tends to be more successful than the other.

I just wanted to add another voice of reassurance here - this happened to me too back in January after collecting benefits since October! I was completely blindsided by the timing and honestly thought something was wrong with my claim. Turns out TWC has really ramped up these identity verification checks as part of their fraud prevention efforts. What I found interesting is that when I called to ask about it, the rep told me they actually verify a certain percentage of active claims each month regardless of how long someone has been collecting. So it really is just random selection, not anything you did. The ID.me process was pretty painless - took about 15 minutes including the video verification call. The agent was friendly and just had me hold up my license and confirm some basic info. My biggest tip: make sure your husband's TWC account information (especially name spelling and address) matches exactly what's on his driver's license before starting the verification. Any mismatches can cause delays. After completing ID.me, it took about 4 business days for my TWC account to show as verified and for payments to resume. All my held payments were released in one batch, so no money was lost - just delayed. Don't let the timing stress you out too much. It really is standard procedure, even though they could definitely communicate that better to claimants!

I just went through this exact same situation about 3 weeks ago! Been collecting since November and got hit with the identity verification request in mid-March - talk about panic mode! But everyone here is absolutely right - it's completely normal and happens way more often than you'd think. What really helped me was calling the TWC customer service line and asking specifically about it. The rep explained that they have automated systems that flag accounts for verification based on various factors throughout the benefit period. It's not necessarily random, but it's also not based on anything suspicious you've done. Could be as simple as a software update triggering new checks or hitting certain time thresholds in their system. One thing I'll add that I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure your husband saves/screenshots the ID.me confirmation page when he completes it. I didn't do this and when my verification seemed to be taking longer than expected, I had no reference number to give TWC when I called to check on the status. Also, the good news is once you go through this verification process, you're pretty much set for the remainder of your benefit year. I asked about this specifically and they confirmed it's very rare to get asked to verify again once you've completed it successfully. The whole thing took about a week from start to finish for me, but knowing what to expect makes all the difference. Your husband's got this!

This thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm actually dealing with a similar situation right now - my grandmother in El Paso is trying to file for unemployment after being laid off from her retail job of 15 years. She's not very tech-savvy and has been getting overwhelmed by the online system. After reading everyone's experiences here, I'm definitely going to drive down this weekend to help her visit the local Workforce Solutions office in person rather than continuing to struggle with the phone system. The tip about arriving 15 minutes before opening and bringing multiple forms of ID is exactly what I needed to know. It's amazing how this community has basically created the definitive guide for navigating TWC's system! Really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their experiences and solutions.

This thread is absolutely amazing! I've been helping people in my neighborhood with unemployment issues for the past year, and this is hands down the most comprehensive resource I've ever seen. The combination of everyone's real experiences - from the phone struggles to the in-person success stories - creates such a complete picture of what actually works vs what doesn't. I'm definitely saving this to share with others who are dealing with PIN issues. The community really came through with practical solutions like the early morning calling times, the mobile app option, and especially the in-person office visits. It's frustrating that TWC's system makes people jump through so many hoops, but at least we have each other to figure out the workarounds! Really glad your mom got everything sorted out in the end.

Just wanted to share my recent experience since I see this is still an active thread! I filed my claim 3 weeks ago and just got approved yesterday. What really helped speed things up was being proactive about documentation - I uploaded my layoff letter, final paystub, and separation notice right when I filed instead of waiting for them to request it. One thing I learned the hard way: even though my claim got approved, my first payment was delayed because I hadn't completed the required work search activities for the first week. Make sure you're doing those 3 work search activities every single week from day one, even while waiting for approval. The TWC website has good examples of what counts - job applications, networking events, career fairs, etc. Also for anyone still waiting, don't stress too much about the "pending" status. Mine showed pending right up until the day it switched to approved. The system doesn't give you much visibility into where things stand unfortunately. Keep doing those biweekly payment requests and stay on top of the work search requirements!

Just want to echo what others have said about being proactive with documentation and starting work search activities immediately! I'm currently going through this process myself (filed 2 weeks ago, still waiting) and this thread has been super helpful. One additional tip I learned from my local workforce center - they offer free resume review and job search workshops that count toward your work search requirements. So you can knock out multiple activities in one visit while actually getting valuable help with your job hunt. Also, LinkedIn job applications definitely count as valid work search activities, so make sure you're documenting those too. Fingers crossed we all get through this process quickly!