Waiting Week

• Tennessee is one of the states that enforces a waiting week for unemployment benefits. Essentially, it's a week of unemployment that you are eligible for benefits, but you will not receive them. The waiting week requirement discourages short-term unemployment claims for claimants who are out of work for less than a week. By delaying the compensation payouts, it prevents abuse of the unemployment insurance system.
  
  

When Should You Apply

• The waiting week doesn't begin until after your unemployment claim is approved, so you should still apply for benefits as soon as you know about your loss of work. For most claimants, the approval process can take about seven to 10 days. However, if there are problems with your eligibility or you need to go through the appeal process, it can take several weeks for approval. The waiting week is always the first week you certify for.
  
  

Certification

• The weekly claims certification process is a way to verify eligibility for each week of unemployment. Although Tennessee is one of the states that requires you to complete the process biweekly, you certify for each week separately. Call into the claims line or log into the claims website to answer questions about your job search, income and other eligibility details for the previous two weeks.
  
  

How to Get Paid for That Waiting Week

• The waiting week is unpaid as a rule. However, Tennessee will send you back pay for it if your unemployment claim continues for four consecutive weeks. You must remain eligible according to Tennessee state law the entire four weeks. You also must not earn any income that equals or exceeds your weekly benefit amount for each of those four weeks. On the fifth week, you receive a back payment for the waiting week.