Texas Unemployment Aid to Increase

By Mary Anne R. Sep 09 2020, 05:54 AM EDT

Texas will have a maximum unemployment aid increase from $521 to $535 per week next month, according to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).

The minimum benefit rate will rise from $69 to $70. This will not affect any claim filed before Oct. 4. The adjustments are made each year based on the average weekly wage for those employed.

The $600 weekly federal benefit expired on July 25, and it was replaced by a weekly $300 payment under the Lost Wages Assistance program.

The program was made possible by executive order after Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration balked at Democratic legislation to continue the $600 per week through January 2021.

About one in five persons in Texas drawing unemployment aid are not eligible for the $300 federal benefit. To be qualified, a recipient must first qualify for at least $100 per week in state jobless aid.

In a previous report, the TWC said of the roughly 1.7 million Texans receiving benefits, 347,700 do not meet the $100 state benefit threshold. Those who are eligible for the federal benefit may receive back payments all the way to the week ending Aug. 1.

"For people eligible for Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program making payment requests this week, between Aug. 23 and Aug. 29, they will see an additional $300 weekly benefit added to their benefit payments for the weeks ending Aug. 1, Aug. 8 and Aug. 15," the TWC noted.

The TWC added that if beneficiaries have stated they have been affected by the COVID-19 and is qualified for the Lost Wages program, they will be paid the additional $300 per week.

On Tuesday, the commission announced that it applied for a $5 million grant from the Department of Labor.

The grant money is to help workers displaced due to Hurricane Laura find employment for the meantime. The work would be for cleanup and humanitarian assistance for Hurricane Laura. Currently, 2,110 people applied for unemployment due to Hurricane Laura.

"The president has yet to issue a disaster declaration for individual assistance, which triggers the disaster unemployment assistance benefits. So right now, we're just continuing to monitor that," Clay Cole, unemployment division director, said in a report.

Hurricane Laura added another problem to thousands of Texans. The TWC said that people, who have applied for unemployment in Orange County, almost quintupled since the pandemic started.

Many had relied on unemployment aids and a support network of family and friends to find jobs or borrow money. However, as the pandemic continues, people who are starting to feel its effects are increasing.

Janie Johnson, CEO of United Way of Mid & South Jefferson County, said a segment of each community lives in survival mode and paycheck to paycheck. Johnson added that they are the most affected in this situation.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the damage to the state "could have been far worse." Many Texans did not immediately have power in the East Texas counties such as Jefferson, Orange, and Hardin.

Blake Fetterman, an executive director for The Salvation Army of North Texas, said that the pandemic worsens Texans' challenges as agencies are already stretched thin.