TWC only paying benefits for 3 months - is this normal or a mistake?
I'm really confused about my benefit period with TWC. I got laid off in January and filed for unemployment right away. My determination letter said I qualify for $425 weekly, but it looks like my benefits are only scheduled to last for about 3 months (12 weeks total). I thought Texas unemployment benefits lasted for 6 months? Is this normal or did something go wrong with my claim? My coworker who got laid off at the same time says his benefits are for 26 weeks. I've tried calling TWC for three days but can't get through to anyone for an explanation.
23 comments
Ethan Wilson
Texas regular unemployment benefits typically last for 26 weeks, not 12. There are a few possible explanations for why yours might be shorter: 1. You might have wages from only part of your base period quarters 2. You could be on a different benefit type (like partial unemployment) 3. There might be an error in how your wages were calculated 4. If you worked less than a full year before being laid off Check your determination letter carefully - it should explain how they calculated your benefit period. Look for the "base period" section that shows which quarters they used for the calculation.
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Aisha Abdullah
•Thanks for this info! I did only work for about 8 months before being laid off. Could that be why? The determination letter has a section about "base period wages" that lists quarters from last year, but some are blank because I wasn't working yet. Is there any way to get the full 26 weeks?
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Yuki Tanaka
THE SAME EXACT THING happened to me last year!!! I only got 14 weeks and it's because I didn't have enough wages in my "base period" which is some stupid calculation they use. It's NOT a mistake - they do this on purpose to save $$$ and hope you dont fight it. Call them ASAP but goodluck getting through!!!
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Aisha Abdullah
•Oh no, that's really disappointing to hear. Did you find any way to extend your benefits or appeal the decision? I'm worried 12 weeks won't be enough time to find a new job in my field.
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Yuki Tanaka
•Nope, I tried appealing and they basically said "too bad so sad" - the only thing that might help is if there's wages missing from your calculation. Check your determination letter SUPER carefully and make sure all your jobs from the last 18 months are included!!
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Carmen Diaz
This is normal and based on your earning history. The TWC calculates your benefit duration based on your total wages during the base period (first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed). The formula is approximately 27% of your total base period wages divided by your weekly benefit amount. If you only worked for part of your base period, you'll qualify for fewer weeks. The maximum is 26 weeks, but many people qualify for less depending on their work history. You can calculate it yourself: 1. Add up all wages in your base period 2. Multiply by 0.27 (27%) 3. Divide by your weekly benefit amount That gives you the number of weeks you're eligible for.
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Andre Laurent
•i got 19 weeks and thats exactly how they did it
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Aisha Abdullah
•Thank you for explaining the math! I did the calculation and it does work out to about 12 weeks based on my wages. Frustrating, but at least I understand why now. Is there any program to extend benefits once the regular ones run out?
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AstroAce
my sister had this same problem and she said they forgot to count one of her jobs so her benefits got cut short. u should double check the wage info on ur determination letter to make sure all ur jobs r included
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Aisha Abdullah
•I just checked my determination letter again, and all my jobs are included correctly. I think the issue is just that I didn't work long enough before getting laid off. Thanks for the suggestion though!
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Andre Laurent
this happened to me too. i only got 19 weeks instead of 26. its all about how long u worked and how much u made. nothing u can do about it unless theres a mistake in ur wages
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Zoe Kyriakidou
•Were you able to find a job before your benefits ran out? I'm in a similar situation and getting worried.
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Andre Laurent
•yeah i got lucky and found something after like 14 weeks but it was close
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Jamal Brown
I know it's frustrating to get fewer weeks than you expected. If you need to talk to TWC about your specific situation (or if you find any errors in your wage calculation), try using Claimyr to get through to a TWC agent. I was in a similar situation with questions about my benefit period and kept getting busy signals for days. Claimyr got me connected to a TWC rep in about 30 minutes. They have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh I found it on their website (claimyr.com) after a friend recommended it. Worth it to get your questions answered directly by TWC instead of stressing about whether your benefit period is calculated correctly.
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Aisha Abdullah
•Thank you - I'm definitely going to check this out. I've been trying for days with no luck getting through to TWC. Even if I can't get more weeks, at least I could confirm everything is calculated correctly.
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Ethan Wilson
Just to add to what others have said - once your regular benefits are exhausted, check if you're eligible for Extended Benefits (EB). These kick in during periods of high unemployment in Texas, but they're not always available. EB can add up to 13 additional weeks, but the qualification criteria are slightly different. You'll need to continue your payment requests and work search activities while on regular benefits to potentially qualify.
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Aisha Abdullah
•That's good to know about Extended Benefits! Do you know if they're currently available in Texas? The TWC website isn't very clear about the current status.
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Ethan Wilson
•As of right now (2025), Extended Benefits aren't triggered in Texas since the state unemployment rate isn't high enough. The threshold is usually around 6.5% state unemployment rate for an extended period. You can check the current status on the TWC website under "Extended Unemployment Benefits" or call to confirm. The availability changes based on economic conditions.
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Zoe Kyriakidou
I'm in the same boat! Only got approved for 14 weeks. What's really frustrating is that it feels like I'm being penalized for not having worked longer, even though the layoff wasn't my choice. Are you doing your work search activities? I've been applying to at least 3 jobs a week, but haven't had much luck yet.
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Aisha Abdullah
•Yes, I'm doing all my work search activities (at least 3 per week like required). It's definitely frustrating to feel penalized for not having a longer work history! Have you had any interviews yet? I've had a couple, but nothing has panned out so far.
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Zoe Kyriakidou
•I've had two interviews but nothing yet. I'm starting to apply to jobs outside my field too just to be safe. Better to have something lined up before benefits run out!
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Yuki Tanaka
One thing NO ONE mentioned yet - are you on REGULAR unemployment or some other type?? If you're on Disaster Unemployment or Trade Adjustment Assistance those have different rules and benefit periods. Just checking bc your post didnt say which type.
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Aisha Abdullah
•I'm on regular unemployment. It was a standard layoff (company downsizing), not related to a disaster or trade issue. But thanks for checking - I didn't know there were different types with different benefit periods!
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