Claim Requirements
If you are a teacher or a school employee working in a non-instructional position, there are two primary considerations for unemployment benefits eligibility:
- Whether you are on a scheduled break: If you have wages from an educational institution in the base period of your claim, are on a scheduled break in the school year and you have a contract or reasonable assurance of a job as defined below in the next academic term or after the break, you generally would not qualify for unemployment benefits because we cannot use your school wages to calculate your benefit amount.
- Type of job separation: If you lose your job through no fault of your own, you might qualify for unemployment benefits. Eligibility for benefits is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Apply for benefits in one of two ways:
- Apply online at Unemployment Benefit Services by selecting Apply for Benefits. Read the Applying for Benefits Tutorial
for help applying online. - Call a Tele-Center at 800-939-6631 and speak to a customer service representative.
Reasonable Assurance
Reasonable assurance is a commitment, either written or verbal, that you will have a job after scheduled breaks or in the next academic term at your school or any other school.
We cannot use your school wages in your base period, as defined in Eligibility & Benefit Amounts, to calculate your benefit amounts if you are on a scheduled break and any of the following apply:
- You have reasonable assurance of a school job
- You sign up as a substitute teacher with any school
- You accept a job with any educational institution
If you have sufficient wages from a non-school job to qualify for benefits, we may be able to pay benefits based on the non-school wages.
If you receive reasonable assurance or get a school job after you apply for benefits, call a TWC Tele-Center immediately at 800-939-6631 and speak with a customer service representative.
Resignation or Retirement
Incentives to Resign or Retire
Some schools offer financial incentives to persuade employees to resign or retire. If you voluntarily accept these incentives, you might not qualify for benefits. However, if your employer would have laid you off anyway, you might qualify even though you resigned or retired.
Resign Rather than Accept Layoff
If you sign a resignation letter rather than accept a layoff it may affect your unemployment benefits because leaving a job voluntarily might disqualify you from receiving benefits. However, you may receive benefits if your employer would have let you go because of budget cuts, regardless of whether you signed the letter of resignation.
Receiving Retirement Pension
If you qualify for unemployment benefits, we will reduce your weekly benefits by any pension amount you received from an employer whose wages we used to calculate your benefits.
