File an Unemployment Claim - Texas
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You must be unemployed through no fault of your own, and you must have earned sufficient wages in your base period (the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before the start date of your claim). Also, you must be able and available for full-time work.
You can apply online or over the phone by contacting 1-800-939-6631.
The amount you receive will depend on your base period wages. The minimum weekly benefit is $69 and the maximum is $521. The Unemployment Benefits Estimator can be used to estimate weekly benefits.
The length of time that you will receive benefits is also based on how much you made during the base period, but not more than 26 weeks.
You must continue to file weekly,and you must respond when contacted by the Texas Workforce Commission. You must register as a job seeker within three business days of applying for benefits on WorkInTexas.com or at a Texas Workforce Solutions office. Also, you must continue to be able and available for full-time work. You must actively seek employment, while keeping a record of your work search activities using the Work Search Log. Finally, you must accept suitable work, and this includes considering jobs that pay 75% of your normal wage by your 8th week of unemployment.
An appeal must be filed in writing, and it must be submitted within 14 calendar days from the date the decision was mailed to you. Your appeal can be submitted in person at the nearest Workforce Solutions office, or you can mail or fax your letter to the appeals department (the contact information will be on your determination letter. You can also submit your appeal online. Also, you must keep filing your weekly claims regularly because you will only be paid for weeks you filed if you win your appeal.
