The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Evening and Weekend Hours Needed to Respond to Disaster-Affected Workers

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has expanded its Tele-Center hours to serve individuals whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted due to Hurricane Ike. Claimants can call Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and this Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT.

Austin local: (512) 340-4300 Houston local: (281) 983-1100 Dallas local: (972) 339-6200 McAllen local: (956) 984-4700 El Paso local: (915) 832-6400 San Antonio local: (210) 258-6600 Fort Worth local: (817) 420-1600 Others call toll free: (800) 939-6631

As a result of Presidential Disaster Declaration FEMA-1791-DR, those who worked in Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Cherokee, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller and Washington counties are eligible to file for disaster-related unemployment benefits.

To file for disaster-related unemployment benefits, individuals also may log on to http://www.texasworkforce.org

In the past week, TWC Tele-Center staff filed more than 34,400 disaster-related unemployment claims. Although TWC has added extra phone lines and hired more than 150 additional claims takers, claimants may not be able to get through on the phone lines immediately. Claimants also may e-mail their names and phone numbers to [email protected], and claims takers will call them back.

Applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) must be filed by Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008.

Re-employment services are available through Texas Workforce Centers or by accessing http://www.WorkInTexas.com for information.