I'm in a very similar situation right now! Just got my first payment yesterday for week 2 of my claim (filed 3 weeks ago after being laid off from my hotel management position) but still no determination letter. I was literally about to post the exact same question you did! Reading through all these responses has been such a relief - it seems like this payment-before-letter timing is actually the norm right now with TWC being so backed up. The explanation about their payment system working separately from their mail processing makes perfect sense. Since we were both laid off (not fired for misconduct) and our employers didn't contest, it sounds like we're both in good shape. I've been keeping detailed work search logs and staying on top of my certifications, so I think I'll follow everyone's advice and stop stressing about spending the money. Thanks for asking this question - you definitely helped more people than just yourself by bringing up this concern that so many of us are dealing with right now!

I'm currently experiencing this exact same situation! Filed my claim about 2 weeks ago after being laid off from my marketing coordinator position, and just received my first payment today for week 2 but still no determination letter in sight. I was honestly starting to panic thinking TWC made some kind of system error and would come after me for the money later. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like this payment-before-letter scenario is actually pretty standard with how backed up TWC is right now. The explanation about their automated payment system working independently from their mail processing department really makes sense. Since I was laid off due to company restructuring (not terminated for cause) and my employer didn't dispute the claim, the fact that I received payment seems to be TWC's way of confirming my approval even though the paperwork is still working through their slower administrative channels. I've been diligently doing my 3 work searches per week and documenting everything, plus staying on top of my biweekly certifications. Based on everyone's timelines shared here, it sounds like I can expect my determination letter in the next 2-4 weeks. Thanks for posting this question - you've helped so many of us realize this timing issue is totally normal and we don't need to stress about it!

I'm in almost the exact same situation as you! Filed my claim last week and got the dreaded "call us" message. Reading through everyone's responses here has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the waiting week or that I could have taxes withheld automatically. The spreadsheet idea is genius and I'm definitely stealing that! One thing I learned from a friend who went through this is to also have your bank account info ready when you call, in case they want to set up direct deposit right away instead of waiting for the debit card to arrive in the mail. Apparently direct deposit is faster for getting payments. Good luck with your call on Tuesday - I'm planning to call Wednesday morning right at 8am like someone suggested. Fingers crossed we both get through quickly!

I just wanted to chime in as someone who's been helping people navigate TWC claims for a while - you're doing everything right by gathering information first! One thing I don't see mentioned yet is that after you make that call on Tuesday, you'll want to check your TWC account online regularly (every few days) because sometimes they'll update your claim status or request additional documents through the portal without sending you an email notification. Also, if you do land one of those promising interviews and get a job offer, you can work part-time (under 32 hours) and still receive partial unemployment benefits as long as you report the earnings correctly. This can be a great way to ease back into the workforce while still having some income security. The fact that you're being proactive about understanding the process puts you way ahead - most people just wing it and then get frustrated when things don't go smoothly!

This is such a common issue with gig work reporting - I went through something similar with Grubhub earnings last year. The TWC's instructions really aren't clear about how to handle these small irregular gig payments, and they definitely don't explain that there's no minimum threshold for reporting. I see you already filed your appeal and got through to TWC via Claimyr - that's great! One thing I'd add based on my experience: when you get to your hearing, make sure to emphasize not just that you misunderstood the rules, but also that your Lyft driving was sporadic and unpredictable (sounds like you only did it when desperate for cash). This helps show it wasn't a consistent income source you were trying to hide. Also, if you haven't already, request a waiver application for the overpayment based on financial hardship. Even if your appeal only partially succeeds, the waiver can sometimes cover the remaining balance if you can show that repaying would cause serious financial difficulties. The fact that you've already spent the money on basic necessities like rent should work in your favor. Keep us posted on how your hearing goes - there are clearly a lot of people in similar situations who could benefit from hearing about your experience!

I went through almost the exact same situation with Instacart last year - got hit with a $4,800 overpayment notice for not reporting about $75-100/week in earnings. I was absolutely panicking because like you, I genuinely didn't know I needed to report such small amounts from gig work. The good news is I successfully appealed and got the fraud designation completely removed! Here's what worked for me: I gathered every single payment record from Instacart showing the exact dates and amounts, wrote a detailed appeal letter explaining that I misunderstood the reporting requirements (not trying to defraud), and emphasized that this was my first time ever filing for unemployment. At my hearing, the officer was actually pretty understanding once I showed all my documentation and explained that I immediately started reporting correctly once I learned the rules. They recalculated my benefits as partial payments instead of a complete denial, which reduced my overpayment from $4,800 to about $2,100. Then I applied for a hardship waiver and got about half of that forgiven too. The whole process took about 3 months from appeal to final resolution, but it was absolutely worth fighting. Don't give up - honest mistakes like this are more common than you think and TWC does show leniency when you can prove it wasn't intentional fraud. You've got this!

This is such a widespread issue with TWC's system! I went through the exact same thing last year. The automated line kept telling me to call back for weeks after my benefits had actually run out. What's really frustrating is that they have all this information in their system - your remaining balance, exhaustion date, etc. - but the phone system just isn't programmed to communicate it properly. One thing I learned: if you ever need to reapply for benefits in the future (after the required waiting period), make sure to keep checking your online account regularly rather than relying on the phone prompts. The online portal is usually much more accurate and up-to-date. Also, save any correspondence they send you about benefit exhaustion - it can be helpful documentation if you need to reference your claim history later. Good luck with your job search! At least now you know where you stand and can focus your energy on finding new opportunities instead of navigating TWC's confusing system.

I'm dealing with this exact same confusion right now! My benefits should have ended last week based on my calculations, but when I called the automated line yesterday, it told me to call back this weekend for another payment request. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like the phone system is just poorly designed and doesn't sync up with the actual benefit status. I'm going to check my online account right now like everyone suggested. It's so frustrating that TWC makes this process more confusing than it needs to be. You'd think after 26 weeks they could at least program the system to say "your benefits have been exhausted" instead of continuing to prompt for payment requests! Thanks for posting this question - it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one scratching my head over TWC's mixed signals.

I'm currently going through a similar situation and wanted to share what I've learned about timing. If you haven't received your first payment yet, you might still have time to set up the payment plan before they automatically start taking 100%. In my case, I called TWC the day after I got my determination letter (before my first payment request date) and was able to get a 40% recovery rate set up. The key is acting fast - once that first payment processes at 100% recovery, it becomes much harder to get them to adjust it retroactively. Also, keep detailed records of all your communications with TWC agents including dates, times, and what was discussed. This has been helpful when I've had to call back to clarify things about my payment plan.

Just want to echo what others have said about acting quickly - I went through this same situation about 8 months ago with a $1,200 overpayment from 2022. The difference between calling TWC immediately versus waiting even a few days can literally mean the difference between getting some money to live on versus having $0 for weeks. I was able to negotiate down to a 35% recovery rate by showing them my monthly budget breakdown and explaining that I'm a single parent with childcare costs. One thing I didn't see mentioned here is that you should also ask about the appeals process for the original overpayment determination if you think there was an error - sometimes the overpayment amount itself is wrong and you can get it reduced or eliminated entirely through an appeal, even if it's from a previous year.