Lost your job in Texas? How unemployment works

Texas pays regular unemployment insurance through the Texas Workforce Commission. Weekly benefits run $76–$619 for up to 26 weeks. Maximum benefit amount is 26 times the weekly amount or 27% of base-period wages, whichever is less, so many claimants get fewer than 26 weeks. 1 unpaid waiting week. Last checked October 16, 2026.

What to do this week

File your claim now. Apply as soon as you become unemployed. The effective date of your claim is the Sunday of the week you apply, and TWC cannot pay benefits for weeks before that date. You can file online, by phone. Open the TWC filing page or call 800-939-6631.
Gather your records. The agency will ask for your last employers, dates and pay. To qualify: Wages in more than one of the four base-period quarters and total base-period wages of at least 37 times the weekly benefit amount; after a prior claim you must have earned 6 times the new weekly benefit amount since.
Start certifying every week. Request payment every two weeks on your assigned filing day, online in UBS or by phone via Tele-Serv at 800-558-8321; each request covers both weeks. If you miss your designated day, request payment on the open filing days Thursday through Saturday of that week; a request not made within the calendar week it is due may be delayed or denied. A minimum number of work search activities every week you request payment; TWC mails the number after you apply and it is set by your local Workforce Development Board (varies by county). Keep a work search log for the benefit year.
Line up other help. Texas SNAP income limits, Texas health coverage, Texas take-home pay calculator.

Texas unemployment at a glance

Agency: Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)
Weekly benefit: $76–$619 (table in force from October 4, 2026)
Most weeks: 26 — Maximum benefit amount is 26 times the weekly amount or 27% of base-period wages, whichever is less, so many claimants get fewer than 26 weeks.
Waiting week: TWC cannot pay the first week of the claim (the waiting week) until you return to full-time work or exhaust your benefits; if you return to full-time work first, you must request the waiting week in UBS or via Tele-Serv.
Appeal deadline: Appeal in writing within 14 calendar days from the date TWC mailed the Determination Notice; if the 14th day falls on a federal or state holiday you have until the next business day. The same 14 calendar days applies to an Appeal Tribunal decision (to the Commission) and to a Motion for Rehearing of a Commission decision. Appeals cannot be made by email or phone.
Spanish / Chinese help: UBS is available in English and Spanish; Spanish and Vietnamese Unemployment Benefits Handbooks (https://www.twc.texas.gov/sites/default/files/ui/docs/unemployment-benefits-handbook-es-twc.pdf); other languages on request through the Tele-Center; Tele-Serv has language options. No Chinese materials found.

How much you could get

TWC's table shows a minimum of $76 and a maximum of $619 starting October 4, 2026 (up from $75 and $605 on October 5, 2025). How it is figured: Highest base-period quarter wages divided by 25, rounded to the nearest dollar, within the state minimum and maximum.

At the top of the table — $619 a week for 26 weeks — the most a claim can pay is $16,094. That is a ceiling, not a typical claim; most people get less because the amount follows past wages.

Who qualifies

Base period. The first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the claim effective date (the Sunday of the week you apply). An alternate base period is available for a medically verifiable illness, injury, disability or pregnancy of at least seven weeks.
Work and wages. Wages in more than one of the four base-period quarters and total base-period wages of at least 37 times the weekly benefit amount; after a prior claim you must have earned 6 times the new weekly benefit amount since.
If you quit. Most people who quit do not qualify, but you may if you quit for good cause connected with the work (such as unsafe conditions or not being paid) or for limited non-work reasons like your own illness, family violence or stalking.
If you were fired. You may be ineligible if fired for misconduct such as violating company policy or law, neglect or mismanagement of your position, or failing to perform adequately when capable.
Part-time, gig and self-employed work. You may earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount without a reduction; above that, your payment is reduced by the excess, and no benefit is paid if earnings exceed the weekly amount plus 25%. Self-employment and odd jobs count as work and hours and earnings must be reported.

Weekly certification, taxes and appeals

How to file: Apply online at Unemployment Benefits Services (UBS), available in English and Spanish, or call a Tele-Center at 800-939-6631 during regular business hours if you cannot apply online. You must also register for work search on WorkInTexas.com within three business days.
Weekly certification: Request payment every two weeks on your assigned filing day, online in UBS or by phone via Tele-Serv at 800-558-8321; each request covers both weeks. If you miss your designated day, request payment on the open filing days Thursday through Saturday of that week; a request not made within the calendar week it is due may be delayed or denied.
Work search: A minimum number of work search activities every week you request payment; TWC mails the number after you apply and it is set by your local Workforce Development Board (varies by county). Keep a work search log for the benefit year.
Taxes: Benefits are taxable income; withholding is voluntary and TWC withholds 10% of each gross payment if you ask. TWC mails a 1099-G each January.
State withholding: none offered by TWC
If you are denied: TWC Appeal Tribunal: online, in person at a Workforce Solutions office, or by mail (101 E 15th St, Rm 410, Austin TX 78778-0001) or fax 512-475-1135 Keep certifying every week while the appeal is pending.
Overpayments: TWC cannot forgive or dismiss an overpayment and there is no exception for hardship. Fraud overpayments add a 15 percent penalty. TWC cannot pay you benefits while you have an overpayment, and there is no statute of limitations on debts owed to the state. Contact the Benefit Overpayment Collections Unit (512-936-3338; Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) to repay.

Good to know in Texas

TWC pages are only reachable from a normal browser (plain curl returns an empty 202); the English handbook PDF could not be downloaded, so handbook-only details were not used.
Phone hours for the Tele-Center are given only as regular business hours.
State tax is not stated on the TWC pages reviewed (null); TWC says to keep sending payment requests during the appeal process.

Sources

TWC Eligibility & Benefit Amounts (read October 16, 2026)
TWC Basics of Applying (read October 16, 2026)
TWC Apply for Unemployment Benefits (read October 16, 2026)
TWC Request Benefit Payments (read October 16, 2026)
TWC Work Search Requirements (read October 16, 2026)
TWC Report Your Work and Earnings (read October 16, 2026)
TWC Federal Income Taxes (read October 16, 2026)
TWC File an Unemployment Appeal (read October 16, 2026)
TWC Contact Information for Claimants (read October 16, 2026)
TWC Overpayments (read October 16, 2026)

Legal and agency information, not legal advice. Rules and benefit tables change — confirm with TWC before you rely on a number. How we check: methodology.