Texas Unemployment Phone Number

If you are trying to file a claim for unemployment benefits in Texas or have already filed a claim and need the phone number to call for help, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we will provide the phone you the Texas Unemployment Phone Number to call to speak to a live person.

However, before you call the customer service hotline, scroll below to see if the question you are calling about is already answered here.

As you can imagine, more people are calling the Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) Unemployment Benefits Phone Number, especially during the pandemic.

Additionally, due to periodic problems with the Texas Unemployment website, more applicants for unemployment are turning to customer service for help.

As a result, the TWC Unemployment Benefits Phone Number phone lines have been flooded with calls.

Due to that reason, hold times have been reported to be very long.

Rather than wait on hold in frustration, you can first seek answers below by reviewing our Texas Unemployment FAQs below.

With the FAQs below, we answer the top questions why people call the Texas Unemployment Phone Number.

"Texas Unemployment Phone Number"

Texas Unemployment Phone Number

Here are the numbers to reach the Texas Workforce Commission’s customer service for Unemployment Benefits:

Tele-Center (Speak to a Live Person)

Call 1-800-939-6631

Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tele-Serv (Automated Service)

Call 1-800-558-8321

  • You can get general information
  • Check the status of your claim
  • Request payment and other options daily

Available 7 A.M. to 6 P.M.

Texas Unemployment Debit Card Help

Call the U.S. Bank Customer Service at:

1-800-657-6343

Unemployment Claims Appeals Fax Numbers:

  • Appeal Tribunal 512-475-1135
  • Commission Appeal 512-475-2044
  • Online: ui.texasworkforce.org

Appeals Mailing Address:

Texas Workforce Commission
101 E. 15th St., Room 410
Austin, TX 78778-0001

Discrimination Complaints

  • TWC Civil Rights Division 888-452-4778
  • Equal Opportunity and Compliance 512-463-2400
  • U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 800-669-4000
  • (TTY) 800-669-6820

Fraud Reporting 800-252-3642

Hearing Impaired Dial 711 for RelayTexas

The Best Time to Reach a Live Person at TWC

According to the Tweet below from the Texas Workforce Commission, here’s the best time to call the Unemployment Phone Number to speak to a human:

7 a.m. and after 5 p.m. = Best Times to Call TWC Tele-Centers.

Texas Unemployment Debit Card (US Bank ReliaCard) Phone Number

For questions about your Texas Unemployment debit card, contact customer service by phone at:

U.S.: 1-800-657-6343

To request a replacement card, call ReliaCard customer service at 800-657-6343.

If your card is lost or stolen, be sure to call immediately to prevent unauthorized charges.

Your new card should arrive within 10 business days.

Normal card replacement is free.

Also, you may request an expedited card, which should arrive within 2-3 business days.

However, there is a fee for expedited shipping. You will be charged is $12.50.

Before you call the Texas Unemployment Phone Number

As we mentioned above, the Texas Unemployment hotline gets a large volume of calls, especially at the beginning of the week when people are claiming their weeks.

Also, due to problems with the Texas Unemployment website and issues with benefits in general, more applicants for unemployment are turning to customer service for help.

Therefore, hold times are long when you call the phone number.

We have answered the top questions people call the Texas Unemployment phone number for.

Scroll down below to see if your question has been answered below.

Additionally, you can review our complete list of Texas Unemployment FAQs here.

How do I file for Unemployment in Texas?

Here’s a summary of how the unemployment benefits process works in Texas.

Step 1 – Check for Eligibility

To be eligible for Texas Unemployment, you must qualify in the following four areas:

  1. Base-period wages
  2. Work search requirements
  3. Job separations
  4. Able and available requirements

1. Base-Period Wages

When you apply for unemployment, The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) will send you a Statement of Wages and Potential Benefit Amounts (benefit statement) that shows whether you have enough wages during your base period to qualify for benefits.

The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the start date of your claim.

If you worked for the federal government, the military, or in other states, your first
benefit statement will not include those wages.

The image below further explains how to determine your base period.

"How to calculate base period for Texas Unemployment"

2. Work Search Requirements

The next criteria you must meet to be eligible for Texas Unemployment benefits is the Work Search requirements.

Unless exempt, you must register as a job seeker within three business days of
applying for Texas Unemployment benefits.

Failure to do so may result in your claim being denied.

To register, visit WorkInTexas.com.

Additionally, you can register at a Texas Workforce Solutions office if you live in Texas or regularly commute to Texas for work from a border state.

To be paid unemployment benefits, you must meet your minimum work search requirements each week.

For details about your work search requirements, refer to the letter the TWC sent you in the mail, including the Texas Unemployment Handbook.

3. Job Separations

To qualify for unemployment benefits in Texas, you must be either unemployed or
working reduced hours through no fault of your own.

Quitting Your Job

Most people who quit their jobs are not eligible for unemployment benefits in Texas.

If you quit your job for a good work-related reason, such as
not being paid, you may be eligible for unemployment.

However, you must have proof of that reason and show that you tried to correct the problem with your employer before quitting.

Able and Available Requirements

To be eligible for Texas Unemployment benefits, you must be able, available, and actively seeking full-time work each week you request payment.

This means you:

  • are physically and mentally able to work the days and hours required of the
    job you are seeking
  • are available for suitable work, if offered
  • are not in jail
  • have transportation and child care
  • would accept the customary wages for your qualifications and experience
  • lowered your wage request to 75 percent of your normal wage by the 8th
    week of unemployment

Step 2 – Gather Your Information

Before you apply for Texas unemployment benefits, you will need to have the following information available to support your claim.

Generally, here’s a summary of what you need to apply for Texas Unemployment:

  • Your last employer’s business name, address, and phone number
  • First and last dates (month, day, and year) you worked for your last employer. If you worked for your last employer on more than one occasion, provide the most recent employment dates.
  • Number of hours worked and pay rate if you worked the week you apply for benefits (Sunday through Saturday)
  • Information about the normal wage for the job you are seeking
  • Alien Registration number (if not a U.S. citizen)
  • A valid Texas Driver License number or Texas Identification Card number

If one of the following criteria applies to you, have the following additional information available:

  • Not a U.S. Citizen: Alien Registration Number or other work authorization form.
  • Military employee: A copy of your DD-214 Member 4. If you do not have a Member 4, a copy of your Member 2-7 may be used.
  • Federal employee: SF-8 or SF-50.
  • Union member: Union name, hall number, and phone number.

Step 3 – Submit your Claim Online

There are two ways to apply to Unemployment Insurance benefits in Texas:

Option 1- Apply Online

Apply online at Unemployment Benefit Services by selecting Apply for Benefits.

Click here for the Unemployment Benefit Services website.

For detailed instructions on how to login to the Benefits Services site or to create an account, see our post on Texas Unemployment Website Login help.

Option 2 – Apply by Phone

The other option to apply for Texas Unemployment is to call the Tele-Center at 800-939-6631 and speak to a customer service representative.

How do you calculate Texas unemployment benefits?

Before you apply for Unemployment Benefits in Texas, you can estimate your potential benefit amount.

You can do this using the Texas Unemployment Benefits Calculator (Estimator).

The estimator cannot tell you whether you are qualified to receive benefits or not.

Here’s how to estimate your benefits:

Step 1 – Visit the TWC’s Unemployment Benefits Estimator Site

The first step in the process is to visit the Texas Unemployment Benefits Estimator website.

Click here to be taken there.

Next, enter the information requested.

Note that the estimator will require you to enter wages for four different pay periods, as shown in the image below.

Also, when you visit the website, it will show you, based on the date you visit the wage period the website will be used to calculate your estimate (as highlighted below in yellow).

"Texas Unemployment Benefits Calculator"

Step 2 – Enter the Requested Information

Enter the requested information into the estimate calculator.

Once you have provided the information requested, click on the “Estimate” link to view your estimate (as shown in the example below).

If you make a mistake while entering the information, click on the “Reset” button to clear the information entered so that you can start over.

"Texas Unemployment Benefits Calculator 1"

Step 3 – Enter the Requested Information

Once you click the “Estimate” button, you will be taken to a page that will display your estimated Texas unemployment benefit amount as shown in the example below.

The results will show you the Estimated Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) and the Estimated Maximum Possible Benefits.

It will also display the current Minimum and Maximum weekly benefit amount for the state so that you can compare that with your estimated amount.

Your weekly benefit amount is the amount you receive for weeks you are eligible for unemployment benefits.

Your maximum benefit amount (MBA) is the total amount you can receive during your benefit year.

How Texas Unemployment Benefits are Calculated

To calculate your WBA, divide your base period quarter with the highest wages by 25 and round to the nearest dollar.

Your MBA is 26 times your weekly benefit amount or 27 percent of all your wages in the base period, whichever is less.

"Texas Unemployment Benefits Calculator Results"

How do I Request Payment for Unemployment in Texas?

Here’s an important piece of information about Unemployment benefits in Texas: You must request payment to receive benefits.

You should request benefit payment every two weeks on your scheduled day.

When you first file for unemployment benefits, TWC will send you instructions on how to request payment.

To find the first date you are scheduled to request benefit payment, look for the document titled: Instructions: Requesting Benefit Payments.

This form shows your First Filing Date and the Tele-Serv Filing Day.

How to request payment

There are two options available to request benefit payments.

Option 1 – Online

You can request payments online using the Unemployment Benefits Services at ui.texasworkforce.org.

Click on the “Request a Payment” link, then follow the instructions to log in.

Once you are logged in, Select Request a Payment.

You will need a User ID and password.

Use the same User ID and password that you use for WorkInTexas.com.

For more information on how to log in, see our post on Texas Unemployment Benefits login.

Option 2 – By Phone

The other option for requesting a payment is by Phone. Here’s how:

Call the TWC’s Tele-Serv at 800-558-8321.

Select Option 1.

You will need your Social Security number and the four-digit PIN you created when you first applied for benefits.

How do I reset my TWC Unemployment Account password?

Here’s how to Reset Your Texas Unemployment Benefits Account Password

1. Visit https://apps.twc.state.tx.us/UBS/security/logon.do
2. Click “Forgot Password?”
3. Enter your User-ID, First+Last Name.
4. Answer Security Question.
5. Enter your new password+retype it. Click submit.

I filed for unemployment insurance. Why do I have a $0 balance?

A $0 balance just means that your claim is still under review by the TWC.

In general, it takes on average about 21 days from the time that you first apply and
become eligible to receive benefits.

If you are approved for benefits, your payment will be sent either by direct deposit or by debit card (US Bank ReliaCard) in the mail.

If you have a $0 balance, continue to request payments every two weeks.

Requesting payments will speed up the process of receiving benefits if you become
eligible.

Texas Unemployment Phone Number Summary

We hope this post on Texas Unemployment Phone Number was helpful.

Still Have Questions?

To go to the main Texas Unemployment page, click here: Texas Unemployment.

If you need help with Texas Unemployment Website Login, click here: TX Unemployment Website Login.

To calculate how much you will get in Texas Unemployment, click here: Texas Unemployment Benefits Calculator.

Get answers to your most pressing Texas Unemployment Questions – Click here: Texas Unemployment Benefits FAQs.

For the Texas Unemployment Handbook, click here: Texas Unemployment Benefits Handbook.

To get the latest news updates on Texas Unemployment Benefits click here: Texas Unemployment Benefits News Update.

If you have further questions about Texas Unemployment Benefits or Unemployment Debit Card, you can fill out the comment form below and we will answer your question ASAP.

Be sure to check out our other articles on Unemployment Benefits, including:
Whether Unemployment Benefits are Taxable
List of States Extending Unemployment Benefits
Massachusetts DUA Unemployment Debit Card
How to file for Unemployment (in all 50 States)
Unemployment office Phone Number (All 50 States)