Calculate your estimated Texas unemployment benefit by entering your quarterly wages earned below:
This free calculator tool can help you estimate your Texas unemployment benefits. We make no promises that you will receive the dollar amount displayed by the calculator.
Texas Unemployment Benefits Calculator
You can collect benefits in Texas if you meet a series of legal eligibility requirements:
- Have earned qualifying wages
- Are unemployed through no fault of their own
- Are able and obtainable to work full-time and
- Are keenly looking for full-time work
In addition to having adequate earnings, you must meet other eligibility benefits to be entitled for UI benefits. Some instances of issues that may influence eligibility for UI benefits comprise: More details on UI eligibility can be found in the Texas unemployment eligibility section.
Weekly Benefit Amount
Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is the amount you receive while you are eligible for benefits. Your WBA will be between $72 and $563 (minimum and maximum weekly benefit amounts in Texas) depending on your past wages. To calculate your WBA, the TWC divides your base period quarter with the highest wages by 25 and round to the nearest dollar.
You must report any work. Income or wages earned could affect your benefit payment.
Maximum Benefit Amount
Your maximum benefit amount (MBA) is the total amount you can receive during your benefit year. Your MBA is 26 times your weekly benefit amount or 27 percent of all your wages in the base period, whichever is less. To receive benefits, you must be totally or partially unemployed and meet the Texas eligibility requirements.
How money from other sources can affect your Texas unemployment calculation
If you are calculating Texas unemployment benefits, you will get anywhere from $72 to $563 per week. However, there are occasions where other sources of money can reduce your benefit payments, depending on what they are and how much.
Workers’ Compensation
Receiving workers comp? If that compensation is Impairment Income Benefits (IIB) you may be able to collect Texas unemployment. However, if you are collecting Temporary Income Benefits (TIB), Supplemental Income Benefits (SIB), or Lifetime Income Benefits (LIB), you cannot collect unemployment claims.
Severance or Wages Paid Instead of Notice of Layoff
Under Texas labor law, you cannot collect unemployment insurance if you are collecting severance pay. Severance pay is money your company promises to pay on termination. You must report these amounts to the TWC when applying for unemployment benefits.
Wages paid instead of notice of layoff is when an employer pays an employee who has been terminated without advance notice (sort of like proverbial money out the door). Similar to severance pay, you cannot collect unemployment while you are receiving wages paid.
Disability Insurance
If you are collecting disability insurance like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), your unemployment benefits will not be reduced. However, you may not be able to collect UI benefits if you are unable to work. More specifically, if you collect SSI you must be available for full time work to collect unemployment, while SSDI recipients may collect unemployment even if they work part time.
Military Retirement or Disability Pay
If you served in the military and physically reside in Texas, you can collect VA disability payments in certain situations. You must have completed your first full term of service and been separated honorably. Or, even if you didn’t complete your first term, your separation was one listed by Congress as an exception. Alternatively, you may collect benefits if you served as a reservist or in the National Guard 180 continuous days after November 25, 2015, or 90 continuous days before that—and either way received DD Form 214.
Retirement Pay and Pensions
You are allowed to collect retirement pay and pensions, annuities, and other similar periodic payments while collecting unemployment, as long as these payments are not connected to any wages you earned during your base period. These payments will not be deducted from your unemployment. The base period is the first complete calendar quarter out of the last five complete quarters before the quarter in which you applied for unemployment. Social Security Old Age Benefits and Railroad Retirement are also not deducted from your unemployment either.
Wages Earned While Requesting Unemployment Benefits
If you work while collecting unemployment, you can actually collect up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount (WBA) without seeing any reduction in benefits. Beyond that, your work will create a dollar for dollar deduction against your WBA. If you earn your weekly benefit amount plus 25% (essentially, if you earn 125% or more of your WBA), you cannot collect unemployment for that week. For example, if your WBA is $300 and you earn $100 that week, you will have $25 deducted from your WBA for a new total of $275 that week (25% of your WBA would be $75, so $100 in earnings in $25 beyond that, resulting in a dollar for dollar deduction from the WBA).
Jury Duty
Payment for jury duty is considered reimbursement and not wages, so you do not need to report it to TWC. If you’re wondering, jury duty payments in Texas range from $6 to $50 per day.
How To Calculate Your Payment Day for Texas UI Benefits
It’s important to know which day to request payment for your Texas unemployment because filing your payment late can lead to delayed benefits or even denied benefits. You will need to file your biweekly claim on a specific day.
Filing days are Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. So for example, if your day to request payment is on a Sunday, you will skip the Sunday after that and then request payment again the following Sunday.
Note that Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are open filing days if you missed your payment request day. However, if the entire week goes by and you have missed filing your claim, you must call TWC at 800-939-6631 as soon as possible and speak to a customer service representative for directions.
It’s a good idea to hold on to the initial paperwork mailed to you by the TWC when you file your initial claim – this paper will have your payment request day listed on it. If you forget your payment day and lose the letter, you can also call 800-558-8321 and select option 2 to find out what it is, or select the Claim and Payment status option online.
Recently Asked Questions
Does part-time job disqualify me from receiving benefits?
If you work part-time in Texas, you may be able to receive some benefits. Your Statement of Benefits tells you your weekly benefit amount and your weekly earnings allowance. Your earnings allowance is one and one quarter times (125% of) your weekly benefit amount. If your actual weekly earnings are less than your earnings allowance, Texas will pay you the difference between the amounts as long as you meet all other requirements, including looking for full-time work. You can receive 25% more income from part-time work and partial unemployment combined, than from unemployment alone. Your benefits also may last longer. If you are working the full-time customary hours for your occupation, you are not eligible to receive UI benefits, even if your earnings are less than 125% of your weekly benefit amount. NOTE: Separation from part-time work can affect your UI benefits. If your part-time employer fires you or you quit your part-time job, Texas state employment agency will review your job separation reason to decide whether you can still receive benefits.
What are eligibility criteria for Texas unemployment?
When it comes to Texas unemployment eligibility, you must have received enough wages to meet the requirements. State uses the wages paid to you during a recent 12-month period, called the base period, to calculate your benefit amounts. The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. (Calendar quarters are three-month periods beginning with January, April, July, or October.) This means that when they calculate benefits they do not use earnings in the calendar quarter in which you filed your claim, or the quarter just before that. Your maximum, or total, benefit amount is the smaller of 26 times the weekly amount, or 27% of all your wages in the base period. Your weekly benefit amount will be between $59 and $406 depending upon the wages you earned.
What is the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)?
TWC is the state agency charged with overseeing and providing workforce development services such as job matching, recruiting and training to Texas job seekers and employers. TWC also administers the Unemployment Benefits and Unemployment Tax programs. TWC’s mission is to promote and support an effective workforce system that offers employers, individuals and communities the opportunity to achieve and sustain economic prosperity. TWC strengthens the Texas economy by providing the workforce development component of the Governor’s economic development strategy. Texas boasts an incredibly skilled workforce ready to attract enterprise to the Lone Star State. By focusing on the demands of employers, TWC gives Texas the competitive edge necessary to draw business here.
What is Texas Workforce Solutions?
Texas Workforce Solutions is a local and statewide network comprised of the Texas Workforce Commission and its statewide operations, 28 Workforce Development Boards (Boards) for regional planning and service delivery, the Boards’ contracted service providers and community partners providing local service delivery, and the TWC Unemployment Benefits Tele-Centers. This network gives customers local access to workforce solutions and statewide services at numerous Workforce Solutions offices.
The Boards are responsible for strategic planning of universal employment services for employers and job-seekers. The integrated workforce delivery system maximizes funding and productivity while eliminating duplicate efforts. Through performance-based contracts, TWC monitors and holds the Boards accountable for program performance and provides technical assistance as needed. About Us provides more detailed information about Texas Workforce Solutions.
What is the Commission on Human Rights?
The Commission on Human Rights governs the Civil Rights Division within TWC, establishing policies and supervising the director’s administration of the division. The Commission on Human Rights is the state authority fair employment practice agency, separate from TWC’s Commission.
How is TWC funded?
Most of the TWC budget is funded through federal sources, such as funding for administration of the Unemployment Insurance program, and grants for employment and retraining services under Wagner Peyser and the Workforce Investment Act. TWC block grants, through allocation formulas, go to workforce development boards that plan and administer Workforce Investment Act, Choices, Employment Services, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training, child care, and other workforce and support services.
What programs and services does TWC provide?
The major functions of TWC include developing the workforce, providing support services including child care for targeted populations participating in workforce training, and administering the Unemployment Benefits and Unemployment Tax programs. TWC also provides information and analysis on shifts in occupations and industries within the state.
TWC offers career development information, job search and job training programs and, as appropriate, unemployment benefits. While targeted populations receive intensive assistance to overcome barriers to employment, all Texans can benefit from the services offered by the partners of Texas Workforce Solutions.
How can I report fraud within a TWC program?
Call the TWC Fraud Hotline at 800-252-3642 or view the Reporting Fraud page for more information about submitting a fraud report. You can remain anonymous if you call the TWC Fraud Hotline at 800-252-3642. You cannot remain anonymous if you use e-mail to submit the information.
How do I request TWC records under Open Records?
The Open Records Policy includes rights and procedures for requesting information and the contact information for several different contact methods