Note: As of July 11, 2017, fee waivers for the 2017-2018 application cycle are no longer available and applications are no longer being accepted. You can apply for a fee waiver for the 2018-2019 application cycle when it opens in April 2018.
May 2, 2011. 1  Several factors determine how long you can draw unemployment insurance benefits in Texas. 2  State unemployment benefits in Texas and elsewhere usually are payable for up to 26 weeks, or six months. 3  Federal funding is available in Texas and all other states only through the end of 2011 unless the government chooses to extend it.
(Although Texans were at one time eligible for a total of 99 weeks of benefits, that maximum has since decreased to 54 weeks.) Contact the Texas Workforce Commission to find out which programs are in place when you apply for benefits. (You can find contact information below.) How to File an Unemployment Claim in Texas