Number For Unemployment In Texas

Texas Workforce Commissions Unemployment Assistance For Contract Workers

August 9, 2020 |News

The TMO has compiled a list of frequently asked questions that we receive concerning unemployment assistance benefits provided by the Texas Workforce Commission . If you are a music industry professional and you are seeking assistance in speaking with a TWC representative on the phone, you may email us at the Texas Music Office, and we will try to assist having TWC reach out to you.

Claim & Payment Status

To check your claim status or confirm your payment:

• Log on to Unemployment Benefits Services. Select Claim and Payment Status. Scroll down to Most Recent Payment heading to see the TWC Processed Date and the Amount Deposited.
• Call Tele-Serv at 800-558-8321 and select Option 2.
• If you receive payment by direct deposit, call your bank or credit union or log on to their web site.
• If you receive payment by debit card, log on to www.usbankreliacard.com, or call ReliaCard customer service at 800-657-6343.

Receive automatic notice of deposits by signing up for text or email alerts with U.S. Bank. Register at www.usbankreliacard.com or call ReliaCard customer service at 800-657-6343.

I Feel Like Ive Tried Everything And I Still Cant Get My Claim Sorted Out What Can I Do

If all else fails: Ask again, but louder.

Houston resident Kimberly Lantz suggests calling your local representatives office. After she was laid off from her job as a hotel sales manager in March, she filed for unemployment right away, but the TWC denied her claim for regular benefits because of an issue with her recent work history.

For the next seven months, she would try in bursts to get in touch with the workforce commission to find out whether she qualified for pandemic assistance. But she could never get through. It wasnt until she called state Rep. Ed Thompsons office in October to discuss her situation that she got an answer from the TWC. Within a week, $20,000 of backpay was deposited into her account.

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How Long Will I Wait On Hold With Texas Unemployment

According to KVUE, the average hold time is between 54 minutes and 68 minutes, depending on what time you call TWC.

Here is an estimate on how long you can expect to wait on hold according to the time you call:

As you can see the best time to call the unemployment Texas phone number is around 7 am.

What Happens When I Run Out Of My Benefits

You may not qualify for more benefits.

If you have exhausted your regular unemployment claim, the TWC will no longer consider you for an extension. There are two temporary extension programs currently active in Texas that most people* on regular unemployment qualify for: Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or PEUC, and Extended Benefits, or EB.

*If you are eligible for unemployment in another state because you also earned wages there, you may have to exhaust your regular benefits in that state before qualifying for EB in Texas.

If you have exhausted your Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits and have not recently been on regular unemployment, you dont qualify for any kind of extension.

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I Did Not Apply For Benefits Until A Week Or More After I Lost My Job Do I Still Qualify

Possibly. You are eligible to receive unemployment benefits starting from the time you lost your job, but if you arent able to immediately reach the TWC, you can request backdated benefits to ensure you receive benefits beginning with the week you lost your job.

• If you are given the option through Tele-Serv or through your online account to request benefit payments for backdated weeks, you must request them at that time, the TWC says.
• If you are not given the option to request backdated benefits, youll need to ,request a callback or email the agency requesting backdated payments starting with the date you lost your job. Email: .
• Provide the exact date you lost your job. Texans who have had issues with this part of the process say that the TWC will look for any T that is not crossed, so pay close attention to what you submit and have personal documentation to back it all up if they ask for it later, said Angeline Stevens, who teaches welding in Dallas and has endured the unemployment process.

Unemployment Benefits Contact Information For Claimants

• Check claim status and payment history
• Request Your Waiting Week

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How Can I Qualify For Texas Unemployment Benefits

Each state sets its own eligibility requirements, but federal guidelines say you generally qualify if youre unemployed through no fault of your own and you meet certain work and wage requirements. Texas will determine if you qualify for unemployment benefits based on your past wages and the reason why youre unemployed. Generally, you may qualify for Texas unemployment benefits if

• Youve been laid off or had your hours reduced due to lack of work.
• You were fired for reasons other than misconduct.
• You quit for a good reason, such as unsafe working conditions, not getting paid, or to care for yourself or a family member due to illness.

But if you were fired for misconduct or quit without a good reason, you generally wont qualify for unemployment benefits.

The state also has requirements for what you must do in order to continue receiving benefits. Generally, heres what youll need to do to continue receiving benefits after youve qualified for them.

• Register for work in Texas and document your search for a new job, unless youre exempt
• Recertify your unemployment benefit claims on a regular basis
• Respond to requests from unemployment administrators

Popular Customer Problems And How To Solve Them

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How To Use Idme

TWC uses ID.me to verify the identity of a person who filed a claim for unemployment benefits. If you did not file the unemployment claim, you must not use ID.me because that will verify the fraudulent claim.

TWC partnered with ID.me, an identity verification service, to verify claimant information and prevent unemployment benefits ID theft. The process is fast, easy, and secure.

Most claimants can verify their identity using the ID.me self-service webpage. You will need to use a smart phone and submit photos of your:

You might not be able to have your identity verified using the self-service webpage if:

• The photos of your government-issued ID or your personal photo are blurry or shadowed.
• If you have credit issues, such as no credit or frozen credit or your credit information is incorrect.
• Or if the phone number you submit is not associated with your name.

If you cannot use the self-service option, you may be able to verify your identity during a video conference call with ID.me. To verify your identity using a video call, you will need:

Online Services For Businesses & Employers

• Unemployment Benefit claimants can find information on Reporting Unemployment Benefits to the IRS this includes information regarding Form 1099G for IRS tax purposes.
• Unemployment Tax Registration Register a new tax account with TWC within 10 days of becoming subject to the Texas Unemployment Compensation Act.
• Unemployment Tax Services Submit quarterly wage reports , pay unemployment tax, view unemployment tax account information and adjust previously filed wage reports.
• QuickFile Submit wage reports for any number of employees or from agents and payroll providers representing multiple clients. QuickFile is designed to transfer wage data in the ICESA, MMREF-1, comma-delimited or fixed-length formats.

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How Do I Know If Im On An Extension

If youre currently on an extension, your online account will indicate that you claim Temporary Unemployment Benefits. To check, visit your claim and payment status page and look directly beneath the Claim Information header. If your claim type is still listed as Regular Unemployment Benefits, click the link directly above the Claim Information header that says Select another claim to view. This should bring up any other claims you have, including any possible extensions.

If you dont have access to the internet, check the documentation sent to you in the mail by the TWC.

How Do I Know What Kind Of Unemployment Aid Im Receiving

You can log on to your online account with the TWC and visit your claim and payment status page. Here, under the claim information section, you will see your claim type listed as: Regular Unemployment Benefits, Disaster Unemployment Benefits , or Temporary Unemployment Benefits .

If you are on an ,it can be difficult to know which program you are enrolled in. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Extended Benefits are two active extension programs that are both referred to as Temporary Unemployment Benefits on your claim and payment status page.

To find out which extension you are on, look through the documentation in your correspondence inbox online or mailed to you by TWC. You should have paperwork that states which extension program you are on.

Another way to tell: Log on to your payment status page and click select another claim to view directly above the Claim Information header. If you see two claims listed as Temporary Unemployment Benefits, you are likely on EB. Thats because most people must exhaust PEUC before they are put onto an EB claim. You can read more about the differences between the two extensions here.

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Rockwall County Sees Record Number Of People On Job Unemployment Rate Dips

Still, job growth in Rockwall County barely kept pace with demand, resulting in only a slight dip in the county’s unemployment rate, according to a report issued Dec. 16 by the Texas Workforce Commission .

Rockwall County reported a 3.1% unemployment rate in November, below the 3.2% listed in October and also below the 3.5% rate in November 2021.

A total of 58,779 people were employed in the county last month, an increase of 624 since October and 2,729 more than November of last year.

There were 1,877 people reported as still seeking employment in October, 21 fewer than in October and 132 fewer than in November 2021.

The county’s Civilian Labor Force was pegged at 60,656 people last month, 603 more than in October and an increase of 2,597 from November 2021.

Texas overall continues to enjoy a good economy and robust job growth.

In November 2022, Texas added 33,600 jobs to reach 13.67 million one year after first hitting an all-time high and surpassing the pre-pandemic jobs count in November 2021. The Texas economy added 657,600 positions annually while the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 4.0 percent in November, according to TWC.

“Texas continues to set employment records thanks to our growing workforce and world-class employers,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “The growth we’ve seen in the Lone Star State in the past year leads the nation.”

Contacting Texas Workforce Commission

While 800-939-6631 is Texas Workforce Commission – Unemployment Benefits’s best toll-free number, there are 4 total ways to get in touch with them. The next best way to talk to their customer support team , according to other Texas Workforce Commission – Unemployment Benefits customers, is by calling their 512-463-2999 phone number for their Claims Department department. Besides calling, the next favorite option for customers looking for help is via 512-463-2999 for Claims Department. If you think this information is inaccurate or know of other ways to contact Texas Workforce Commission – Unemployment Benefits please let us know so we can share with other customers.

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If You Are On Regular Unemployment Or Were On Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation :

• Your search activities can include registering on an online job board such as workintexas.com a job interview, attending a virtual networking event or other activities.
• The TWC will not ask you for documentation of your work search activities every time you request payment. Instead, you will check a box that confirms you performed a search. Someone may, however, randomly ask you to prove your work search activities. Keeping a log of your searches for your own records is a good idea. Here is a log template from the TWC.

Twc Extends Call Center Hours

Phone: 512-463-8556

Saturday Assistance Also Now Available

AUSTIN The Texas Workforce Commission is expanding hours of operation for its unemployment benefit services tele-center. In a response to an unprecedented call volume as a result of COVID-19, TWC tele-center hours will now be Monday through Friday 8:00a.m. to 6p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00p.m.

Individuals seeking to file unemployment claims are asked to first begin their claim process through the unemployment benefit services online portal. Should the need arise to speak to a representative, claimants are then asked to call TWC unemployment services center at 800-939-6631.

In response to a high number of PIN retrieval requests, TWC updated our PIN retrieval policy. PINs created prior to 2015 have been removed from the system effective March 22, 2020. Individuals needing to retrieve a PIN that was created prior to 2015 are asked to please login again online and reset their PIN. Please note, claimants who meet these requirements but have an overpayment will still need to call to retrieve their PIN.

For more information about the application process, including a step by step guide to applying for benefits visit

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Establish & Change Payment Options

When you apply for benefits, TWC offers you one of two ways to get your benefit payments:

• Direct deposit, which is direct payment into your personal checking or savings account in a United States bank or credit union
• Debit card, which is issued by the TWC-contracted bank

TWC will deposit payments to the TWC debit card account unless you sign up for direct deposit.

If you signed up for direct deposit on a prior claim, TWC will use the checking or savings account information you previously provided.

To select or change your payment option online or by phone:

• Log on to ui.texasworkforce.org and select Payment Option from the Quick Links menu.

How Did The March 2021 Coronavirus Relief Package Affect My Benefits

A $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package signed into law March 11 extended two pandemic unemployment programs authorized by the CARES Act into the first week of September. Lawmakers also extended a federal benefit that added an extra $300 a week to all unemployment claims. But jobless Texans only had access to these benefits through June 26, after Gov. Greg Abbott said in mid-May that Texas would opt out of the federal assistance.

The legislative package also included a tax break for anybody who received $10,000 in unemployment benefits during the pandemic.

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Do You Meet The Minimum Earnings Requirement

Virtually all states look at your recent work history and earnings during a one-year “base period” to determine your eligibility for unemployment compensation. . In Texas, as in most states, the base period is the earliest four of the five complete calendar quarters before you filed your claim for benefits. For example, if you filed your claim in October 2020, the base period would be from June 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020.

If you have been out of work for a long time because of disability, pregnancy, illness, or injury, you may have low or even insufficient earnings during the regular base period to qualify for benefits. In this situation, you may be able to use an alternate base period that looks at your earnings history before you became unable to work.

During the base period, your work history and earnings must meet both of these requirements:

• You must have earned wages in at least two of the four calendar quarters that make up the base period.
• Your earnings during the entire base period must be at least 37 times your weekly benefit amount. Your weekly benefit amount is the total you earned in your highest paid quarter divided by 25, up to a current maximum of $535.

How Do Unemployment Benefits Work In Texas

If you need to file for unemployment benefits, the Texas Workforce Commission, or TWC, is your go-to place for getting information, filing claims and receiving benefits.

You can apply either online or by calling 1-800-939-6631, and applications are available in both English and Spanish.

Typically, eligible workers can claim money for up to 26 weeks. However, states may choose to revise their benefits in times of economic crisis, and the federal government may help fund extended state benefits during such times.

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