How Do I Apply for Unemployment Benefits with the Texas Workforce Commission?

How do I apply for unemployment benefits with the Texas Workforce Commission?

The answer to your question, "How do I apply for unemployment benefits with the Texas Workforce Commission?" can be found right here in this article. One thing to keep in mind is that due to certain circumstances there may be a short waiting period.

When to Apply

You should apply to receive benefits as soon as you become unemployed since your claim begins as soon as you complete your application. However, you must wait until after your last workday to apply. Benefits will not be paid for any of the weeks before the effective date of your claim. In addition, you must apply for benefits in the same state you worked in. If You Worked in Multiple States, you can apply in either of the states that you obtained base period wages. The chosen state will then be your paying state.

You can request that the paying state combines all your wages in one single benefit claim for unemployment. Note, combining your wages, will mean you can only receive unemployment benefits from one state. In addition, if you qualify for the maximum amount of benefits due to earning the specified amount of wages in your paying state, then they won't combine the wages from other states on your claim. You can only use the wages you earned in your paying state. If this is the case, you may be able to receive the other state's wages in the future.

How to Apply

There are two ways to apply for unemployment benefits: Either you can apply online by visiting the "Unemployment Benefit Services" and selecting "Apply for Benefits" or you can click here for the toll-free Tele-Center number and call to speak to a customer support representative to discuss your case.

What You Will Need

Either way, you apply, you will need to have the following handy:

• The business name, address, and phone number of your last employer.
• The date you started working for your last employer and the last date you worked, month, day, and year. If you worked more than once for the same employer, then provide the most recent dates of employment.
• How many hours you worked, the rate of pay you earned, and what days you worked during the week you are applying for.
• If you are not a U.S. citizen, you will also need your Alien Registration number.

Establish Payment Options

There are two ways to receive your unemployment benefit payments with TWC:

1. Direct deposit

You can sign up to receive direct deposit so your payment will be deposited right into your United States bank or credit union checking or savings account.

2. Debit Card

Unless you are signed up to receive a direct deposit, your payments will be added directly to the debit card issued to you by the TWC-contracted bank.

Note: If you had a prior claim for which you received a direct deposit, your payment will be directly deposited into the checking or savings account you previously provided.