What Are the Qualifications for Drawing Unemployment in Texas?
Approximately 8.5 percent of all residents in Texas were on unemployment as of August 2011, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Texas Workforce Commission provides unemployment benefits for these individuals, provided they meet the necessary qualifications and continue to maintain their eligibility for as long as they receive their benefits.
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Base Periods
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Understanding the concept of base periods is necessary for determining unemployment eligibility in Texas. The base period is a period of 12 months that the Texas Workforce Commission uses to determine the eligibility for claims based on income levels. For residents who file a claim in January, February or March, the base period runs from October through September of the previous year. With an initial clam in April, May or June, the base period runs from January to December of the previous year. Residents who file their initial claim in July, August or September have a base period window from April of the previous year to March of the current year. Filing a claim in October, November or December results in a base period that runs from July of the previous year to June of the current year.
Earning Requirements
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To receive unemployment in Texas, residents must meet three income qualifications. All applicants must have earned income from a job during two of the four quarters in their base period. In addition, the total wages earned during the base period must be at least 37 times more than the amount of benefits received. The minimum unemployment payment amount in Texas was $60.00 per week as of September 2011, meaning that applicants would need a minimum of $2,220 of income during their base period to be eligible for benefits. Applicants who have previously received unemployment benefits from another claim must have earned at least six times more than the amount that they will receive from their benefits from the time of their last claims ended until the day they filed their current claims. In September 2011, this meant that anyone who had previously filed unemployment claims must have earned a minimum of $360 from the time that their last claims ended to be eligible for any benefits.
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Other Requirements
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The Texas Workforce Commission also considers applicants' reasons for becoming unemployed when approving claims. For applicants whose employment was terminated, unemployment claims are typically approved, unless the applicants lost their jobs due to misconduct, such as violating a law or a company policy. Applicants who quit their jobs must show that they had good cause, such as an unresolvable situation involving caring for an immediate family member with a medical need or not receiving pay from their employers. In addition, a spouse who quits a job and moves to Texas because her spouse was relocated to the state may receive unemployment after a disqualification period of 6 to 12 weeks. Additionally, spouses of military service members assigned to bases in Texas may receive unemployment benefits, provided that the service-members' orders will require them to remain in Texas for at least 120 days or to be on an active tour of duty for at least one year.
Continuing Eligibility
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To continue to receive unemployment benefits in Texas, residents must be actively looking for work. All unemployment recipients must submit a plan detailing their job search efforts to the Texas Workforce Commission. They must also certify that they actively looked for work during the previous week in order to receive benefits. To provide this certification, Texas residents call a hotline or log into the commission's website. Unemployment recipients who turn down suitable job offers may be terminated from receiving benefits. The commission defines a job as suitable on a number of factors, including if its requirements match the qualifications, education and experience of the job seeker and if it is within a reasonable distance from the job seeker's home.
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