TWC Payment Request: How Biweekly Certification Works in Texas

Filing your initial Texas unemployment claim doesn't automatically trigger payments. You have to request payment every two weeks for the rest of your benefit year, and missing your window can cut off your income without warning.

How the Biweekly Payment Request Works

Each payment request covers two completed calendar weeks, running Sunday through Saturday. TWC assigns you a filing day; check Claim and Payment Status or call Tele-Serv to see your scheduled day. Scheduled filing days are Sunday through Wednesday.

You can submit your request two ways:

• Online through Unemployment Benefits Services (UBS) at ui.texasworkforce.org
• By phone through Tele-Serv at 800-558-8321

During each request, you certify both weeks separately. TWC asks whether you were physically able and available to work full time, whether you performed any work and how much you earned, whether you refused any job offers, and whether you completed your required work search activities.

Answer every question for the specific week it covers. Earnings must be reported in the week you worked, not the week you got paid.

What If You Miss Your Filing Day

If you miss your assigned day, Thursday through Saturday are open filing days available to everyone during the same week.

If more than 30 days have passed since you filed your last claim, TWC requires you to file an additional or reopened claim. Contact TWC promptly about the missed weeks and ask whether a late payment request is available.

The Waiting Week

Your first eligible week may be Texas's statutory waiting week. TWC releases its payment after you have received benefits equal to at least twice your WBA and either return to full-time work after at least seven consecutive days of total or partial unemployment or exhaust regular benefits for the benefit year.

The waiting week is not a penalty or a processing delay. Keep requesting payments as scheduled, and use the separate “Request your Waiting Week” link in Claim and Payment Status when you meet the conditions.

Keep Filing During Holds and Appeals

If your claim is under review, in an appeal, or has an administrative hold, keep submitting your biweekly payment requests on schedule. If you miss a request, contact TWC promptly to ask whether you can still request payment for that week. A general call to TWC does not substitute for a payment request through UBS or Tele-Serv.

The Texas Unemployment Claims Guide includes a biweekly filing calendar and walks through every certification question so you know exactly what TWC expects each time you request payment.

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