Job Seekers – From The Texas Workforce Commission Website

COVID-19 Stimulus Bill Update

Important Note to COVID-19 Applicants:

If you have already applied for unemployment benefits, DO NOT APPLY AGAIN. TWC will determine which pandemic unemployment benefits program you are eligible for and notify you by mail or electronic correspondence. Make sure to request benefit payment on the date listed on the filing instructions we provided you when you applied, and every two weeks after that on your filing day.

If you have not been able to apply for benefits because of the high call volumes and online system issues, please try again at ui.workforce.org. We are seeing lower volume on the online portal between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. Try back during those hours to apply for benefits, check the status of your claim, or request benefit payment.

We have also expanded our Tele-Center hours to 7 a.m.-7 p.m., seven days a week. We have also expanded our ability to take claims online. Call our Tele-Center at your designated call time: 800-939-6631

If you need to apply for benefits, we encourage you to review our Unemployment Benefits web pages for general information about unemployment benefits, eligibility, benefit amounts, and how we pay you before you apply.

For help in preparing to apply for benefits, review our tutorials on our Unemployment Benefits Services (UBS) web page. There, we have tutorials on how to:

• Create a TWC User ID and password
• Apply for benefits online
• Use electronic correspondence
• Request a benefit payment, and much more.

These web pages and tutorials provide all the information you need to know about what you need to provide during the application process, how the process works, and what happens next.

You can also get answers by reading our Unemployment Benefits Handbook.

Our unemployment web pages, our handbook, and our tutorials – and even our online apply for benefits program – are also available in Spanish. Look for the “Ver esta página en español” near the top right of every unemployment webpage. Spanish applicants can apply for benefits online in Spanish at Servicios de Beneficios de Desempleo. 

TWC is taking action to implement the new law and working with the Department of Labor to implement the act while continuing to work tirelessly to process unemployment insurance claims caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

How do you extend your benefits?

• If you recently exhausted benefits, no action is needed from you. We will determine if you qualify and notify you by mail or electronic correspondence of your eligibility.
• We are upgrading our system to adapt to the new legislation. If you attempt to access the system or call prior to receiving notification we will not be able to assist you.

What does the Coronavirus Stimulus Bill mean for me?

• If you are self-employed, a contract worker or previously worked in a position that did not report wages, you may qualify for unemployment!