The Texas Workforce Commission will utilize a $9.1 million award from the U.S. Department of Labor to enhance access to Texas’ Unemployment Insurance services.
The agency began developing a new UI system a few years ago, but the effort was temporarily placed on hold due to the pandemic. The federal funds will be used to finalize and augment those previously planned system upgrades. Projects will include data gathering, multilingual system upgrades, in-person identity verification services, and mobile access technology upgrades for UI benefits services.
“TWC is replacing its legacy unemployment benefits system to provide the best customer service possible,” said TWC Executive Director Ed Serna. “We started this process in 2019, and this DOL grant — the largest awarded to a single state this year — is a recognition of our existing efforts to innovate on behalf of our customers and ensure all Texans have access to the many services we provide.”
One project supported by these funds is an identity verification upgrade. TWC uses identify verification measures to help prevent identity fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars. The agency will allocate the funds to enhance in-person identity verification so customers have more options when completing the process.
