How Much Is Unemployment In Texas

My Boss Told Me I Needed To Come Back To Work But I Am Considered High

The TWC has said that workers can refuse an offer to return to work and still receive unemployment benefits in the following situations:

• They or someone they live with is 65 years or older.

• They have a medical issue, like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or a weakened immune system, or are at a higher risk for getting very sick from COVID19 .

• They live with someone who is at a higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 .

• They have tested positive for COVID-19 by a source authorized by the State of Texas and have not recovered.

• They live with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 by a source authorized by the State of Texas and that person has not recovered and 14 days have not yet passed.

• They were exposed to COVID-19 through close contact and are quarantining for 14 days.

• They are the primary caregiver for a child they live with, and that childs school or daycare has closed and there are no alternatives.

The TWC has said that any other situation would be looked at on a case-by-case basis. If you have a question about your particular situation affecting your eligibility for unemployment, please call TRLA. We can help you try to figure out whether you may be able to stay on unemployment, and also whether you have the right to paid or unpaid leave. For more information about paid or unpaid leave that might be available to you, please visit our website.

Im A Tipped Worker Do I Still Qualify

Yes. Tipped workers qualified for benefits even before COVID-19 and should continue to be eligible for Texas benefits or federal stimulus bill benefits. Your employer is supposed to report all of your income, including tips. If your employer didnt report any or all of your income you should still qualify for benefits under the federal stimulus bill because it doesnt require any earning history. But you will need to provide documentation showing that you worked if your employer did not report any earnings to the TWC.

What Do I Have To Do To Meet The Work Search Requirements

Most workers receiving unemployment benefits must complete 3 work search activities per week.

The TWC has stated that acceptable work search activities include but are not limited to:

• registering onWorkInTexas.com.

• searching for jobs onWorkInTexas.comand using the Virtual Recruiter tool to receive alerts about new jobs that match your skills

• obtaining and following up on job contacts fromWorkInTexas.comorWorkforce Solutions officestaff

• registering at apublic workforce officein the state you live in if you do not live or work in Texas

• registering for work with a private employment agency, placement service of a school/college/university, or registering with other electronic job-matching systems

• making in-person visits, completing a job application, or interviewing with employers who may reasonably be expected to have openings for suitable work. The job application can be submitted in person, online, by fax, or in any other manner directed by the employer and appropriate for the type of work being sought

• mailing a job application and/or a résumé as instructed by a public job notice

• creating a reemployment plan

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Unemployment Rate In Texas

• Source: Texas Workforce Commission

Every major industry in Texas suffered losses in jobs when the coronavirus began spreading last spring. Employment in leisure and hospitality, which includes jobs in restaurants, hotels and entertainment, dropped by 38% â over 500,000 jobs â from March to April 2020. Almost 150,000 jobs in that sector were added back the next month. The mining and logging sector, which includes the oil and gas industry, saw employment decrease by 11% from March to April 2020 and continue to drop for several more months. Jobs in education and health services also fell by 10% in April 2020.

A Family Member Is Still Recovering From Covid But My Boss Told Me I Need To Return To Work If I Refuse Can I Still Get Unemployment Benefits

Yes. However, there are conditions you have to meet to remain eligible for unemployment benefits:

• The family member must live with you

• The family member must have tested positive for COVID-19 by a source authorized by the State of Texas

• The family member must not yet have recovered and

• 14 days must not yet have passed.

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I Received A Notice That I Have To Repay The Benefits I Received What Can I Do

It Is not uncommon for the TWC to say someone is qualified, pay them benefits, and then later decide the person never qualified and demand repayment.

If you receive a notice that you were overpaid benefits and must repay them, you can appeal this decision. You have 14 days to appeal from the date it was sent. The notice you receive will tell you the date by which you must file your appeal. Just like with any other decision that you can appeal you will be given a telephone hearing to argue why you were not overpaid. No late appeals will be accepted.

It is also likely that you received a decision saying you never qualified in the first place for benefits and that is why you were overpaid. You need to appeal BOTH the determination that you never qualified for benefits and the decision that you were overpaid.

You can appeal online at by logging on to your account. This is the same account you used to apply for benefits. You can also fax your appeal to 512-475-1135. You can find the TWCs appeal form here: .

How Long Can I Receive Benefits

Workers who qualify for benefits under Texas law can receive an initial 26 weeks of benefits. If they exhaust this, there are up to 26 extra weeks available. An additional 7 weeks of benefits may be available if the unemployment rate remains high. These will be available in October at the earliest.

On December 27, 2020, a new pandemic relief bill was signed into law. Under this legislation, unemployment benefits may be extended by up to 11 extra weeks.

Please note that these changes will still have to be put in place by the Texas Workforce Commission. The TWC has stated that it will try to do this as quickly as possible.

Please check here for the latest updates from the TWC regarding this:

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What Is A Suitable Job

You will no longer be eligible for benefits if you refuse a suitable job offer or referral. Whether a job is suitable depends on several factors, including:

• your qualifications, training, experience, and physical fitness
• the commute
• how the working conditions and pay compare to similar jobs in your area
• whether the job poses any risks to your health, safety, or morals and
• how long you have been unemployed.

After Im Approved For Unemployment Benefits Do I Need To Do Anything Else

Yes. You have to request a payment after you are approved and keep requesting payments every two weeks. You can request payment either by direct deposit to a checking or savings account or through a debit card the Texas Workforce Commission will send you. To request payment, you can:

• Log on to Unemployment Benefits Services and select Request a Payment, OR

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Child Tax Credit: July 15 Deposits

Some families received another form of stimulus aid on July 15 when the IRS deposited the first of six monthly cash payments into bank accounts of parents who qualify for the Child Tax Credit . Families on average received $423 in their first CTC payment, according to an analysis of Census data from the left-leaning advocacy group Economic Security Project.

Eligible families will receive up to $1,800 in cash through December, with the money parceled out in equal installments over the six months from July through December. The aid is due to the expanded CTC, which is part of President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

Families who qualify will receive $300 per month for each child under 6 and $250 for children between 6 to 17 years old. Several families that spoke to CBS MoneyWatch said the extra money would go toward child care, back-to-school supplies and other essentials.

Families may enjoy more of a tax break in coming years, if Mr. Biden’s American Families Plan moves forward. Under that plan, the Child Tax Credit’s expansion would last through 2025, giving families an additional four years of bigger tax breaks for children.

Are You Out Of Work Through No Fault Of Your Own

You must be out of work through no fault of your own to qualify for unemployment benefits in Texas. If you are laid off, lose your job in a reduction-in-force , or get “downsized” for economic reasons, you will meet this requirement. In Texas, employees who are fired for work-related misconduct may not qualify for unemployment benefits. Examples of work-related misconduct include violating company policy, violating the law, or failing to perform your job if you are able to do so.

If you quit your job, you won’t be eligible for unemployment unless you had a good reason for doing so, relating to your work or a medical condition. If someone who truly wanted a job would have left their position in the circumstances you faced, you will still be eligible for unemployment benefits. If you left the job because of domestic violence or stalking, you may also be eligible for benefits. Whenever you quit, you will be expected to have documentation of your reasons .

If you quit to move with your spouse, you will be disqualified from receiving unemployment benefits for a period of time. However, if you are moving with a spouse who is in the military, you may be eligible right away, depending on the circumstances.

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Pua Claims Filed On Or After January 31 2021

If you filed or moved to a new PUA claim on or after January 31, 2021, you must provide proof of employment, self-employment, planned commencement of prospective employment or self-employment. You must provide the proof within 21 days of the date you filed your claim.

You must provide proof for calendar year 2020 that demonstrates the existence of employment between January 1, 2020, and the date you filed your claim. Your documentation of employment or self-employment does not need to cover the entire period that you were working.

If you do not send us proof of employment within the deadline, you will be found ineligible for benefits beginning December 27, 2020, and have to repay any benefits you received. You have the right to appeal any decision holding you ineligible for benefits. The requirement to provide proof was established by law and cannot be appealed.

Are You Eligible For Unemployment

First, make sure you are eligible for unemployment. While it varies based on your state, you generally need two things to qualify. First, you need to have lost your job through no fault of your own. It typically means you are ineligible if you quitalthough there are exceptions, like if you quit because of impossible work conditions. If you are fired for cause, you also are likely ineligible.

You also have to have been employed for a minimum amount of time or have earned a minimum amount in compensation.

Once you find out whether you are eligible, you can file a claim for unemployment benefits. If youre not sure about your eligibility, check with your state unemployment office. You dont want to lose out on unemployment compensation because you didnt think you would qualify.

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Do I Have To Search For A New Job To Keep My Unemployment Benefits

Yes. Beginning the week starting November 1, 2020, workers receiving unemployment benefits will have to be actively searching for work.There are specific work search activities you have to do to meet this requirement. You should receive a work search notification by mail or in your TWC online account inbox.

You should immediately register on WorkInTexas.com.

Base Period: Calendar Quarters

Enter your total wage earnings for each of the four calendar quarters listed, which are the first four of the most recent five completed calendar quarters.

The quarter with the highest earnings will then be used to calculate your WBA.

If you were out of work for a long period during your base period because of a medically-verifiable illness, injury, disability, or pregnancy, you may be eligible to use an alternate base period.

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Still Living Paycheck To Paycheck

Some top economists have called for more direct aid to Americans. More than 150 economists, including former Obama administration economist Jason Furman, signed a letter last year that argued for “recurring direct stimulus payments, lasting until the economy recovers.”

Although the economy is improving, millions of people continue to suffer from reduced income and have not been able to tap government aid programs, Nasif said. Only 4 in 10 jobless workers actually received unemployment aid, according to a from economist Eliza Forsythe.

Many people never applied for unemployment benefits because they didn’t think they were eligible, while others may have given up due to long waits and other issues.

“You’ll see reports about how the economy is starting to grow, but there are a lot of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, and for a lot of them the government relief programs haven’t been able to help,” said Greg Nasif, political director of Humanity Forward.

How Much Will You Receive In Unemployment Benefits In Texas

The Texas Workforce Commission determines your benefit amount based on your earnings during the highest paid quarter of the base period. Your weekly benefit amount is your highest quarter earnings divided by 25, up to a current maximum amount of $535 per week. Learn more at the TWCs Eligibility and Benefit Amounts page.

Texas also has a maximum total amount of unemployment benefits: either 26 weeks’ worth of benefits, or 27% of your entire base period wages, whichever is less.

In times of very high unemployment, the state might make additional benefits available if you use up all of your regular benefits.

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How To Request A Payment

If you have an active UI claim, you can request a benefits payment by phone or online. You will need:

• Your earnings amount for each week
• Your work search activities for each week

To Request Unemployment Benefits Payments Online: Log on to Unemployment Benefits Services. To Request a Payment by Phone: After your unemployment claim is on file, call Tele-Serv toll free at 1-800-558-8321.

• WHEN TO CALL: Sunday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Monday – Wednesday 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• If you miss your assigned day, call Thursday or Friday 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Individuals needing telecommunications devices for the deaf can communicate with TWC-UI offices by using Relay Texas. Those numbers are 1-800-735-2989 or 1-800-735-2988 Don’t wait for a determination to request your payment. You should request payment one to two weeks after you first apply for benefits and every two weeks after that. You can find the date you are scheduled to request payment on your Unemployment Benefits Services account or by calling Tele-Serv.

How to Manage and Review Your Claim

How Likely Is A Fourth Stimulus Check

Don’t hold your breath, according to Wall Street analysts. “I think it’s unlikely at this time,” Raymond James analyst Ed Mills told CNBC. One reason is that the Biden administration is focused on advancing its infrastructure plan, which would reshape the economy by rebuilding aging schools, roads and airports, as well as investing in projects ranging from affordable housing to broadband.

The proposal, which the White House says would be funded by boosting the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, will likely consume lawmakers this fall, said Stifel’s Brian Gardner in an August 11 research note.

“The fall is shaping up to be a busy time in Washington as Congress tries to finish two infrastructure bills , approve the annual spending bills, and raise the debt ceiling,” he noted.

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How To File An Unemployment Claim In Texas

You may file your claim online, at www.twc.state.tx.us/ui/uiclaim.html, or by phone. You can find a list of local offices and telephone numbers at www.twc.state.tx.us/ui/bnfts/offices.html. Once it reviews your application, the Texas Workforce Commission will send you a Determination Notice, indicating whether your claim has been granted or denied. If your claim is granted, you will have to request payment every two weeks, either online or by phone, and meet ongoing eligibility requirements .

How Do I Appeal If My Texas Unemployment Claim Is Denied

If your Texas unemployment application is denied, you have the right to appeal that decision. To do so, you can request a hearing, in writing, within 14 days after you receive a Determination Notice. Texas unemployment laws guarantee you this right.

After you submit an appeal request, the TWC will schedule a hearing and send you additional information to help you prepare for it. Most hearings are conducted by phone, and after the hearing is completed, a hearing officer will rule on your case and mail you a decision.If you are still denied, you can file an appeal to three commissioners of the TWC. Your evidence will be reviewed and send you a written decision. If you are still denied benefits, you can request a rehearing or file a court appeal.

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