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.
In Texas, as in most states, the base period is the earliest four of the five complete calendar quarters before you filed your claim for benefits. For example, if you filed your claim in October 2012, the base period would be from June 1, 2011 through May 31, 2012. If you have been out of work for a long time because of disability, pregnancy, illness, or injury, you may have low or even insufficient earnings during the regular base period to qualify for benefits.