Recently Unemployed In Minnesota Here’s What You Need To Know
By John Ewoldt
More than 16 million U.S. workers have lost their jobs in the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, forcing many to scramble after losing a job. Here are things you need to know about getting help in Minnesota.
How do I apply for unemployment?
The state of Minnesotas website for unemployment insurance answers questions about applying, payments, eligibility, and individual accounts. To talk to a representative, call 651-296-3644 in the metro or 1-877-898-9090 in greater Minnesota. .
Because of the volume of applications, the state is asking people to apply for benefits by following the schedule online, based on the last digit in a persons Social Security Number. You can apply from this link.
Will people whose unemployment recently ran out automatically be eligible for a 13-week extension?
Yes. As of April 15, the 13-week extension is now up and running. We think this will immediately help about 8,000 people who have recently exhausted their benefits or will soon.
Who is eligible for an additional $600 per week from the federal CARES Act?
Self-employed people and independent contractors are eligible under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance . Information about eligibility can be found here. PUA payments have not begun because the state doesnt yet have guidance from the federal government yet. If you are a small business owner looking for information on the CARES Act, you can find it here.
What other federal aid can I expect and when?
How To Claim For A Benefits Extension
If you are presently filing weekly claims for unemployment benefits, carry on filing your weekly claim if you are jobless or are working reduced hours. Thye will inform you by mail if you are eligible for the added benefits.
Usually, two programs will extend unemployment insurance benefits: Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Extended Benefits . It is beneficial for those that are out of work for a long period. The maximum benefits duration has increased from 26 to 99 weeks in some states.To be eligible for EUC benefits you must:
****The EUC expired on January 1, 2014, and since has not been renewed by Congress***
To be eligible for Extended Benefits , you must:
What If My 1099
According to the IRS, taxpayers who receive an incorrect Form 1099-G for unemployment benefits they did not receive should contact the issuing state agency to request a revised Form 1099-G showing they did not receive these benefits. Taxpayers who are unable to obtain a timely, corrected form from states should still file an accurate tax return, reporting only the income they received. The department of labor keeps a directory of each states unemployment office and its website.
In some cases, an incorrect 1099-G form might indicate that you have been the victim of unemployment fraud, which has been a growing problem. Here is how to recognize if this has happened to you.
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How Do I Report Fraud
The best way to report unemployment fraud and identity theft in Minnesota is to do so within your online account by selecting Suspected Fraudulent Activity under Other Issues. The state of Minnesota will review the information and take all appropriate immediate next steps to resolve the issue.
You also may report fraud concerns using the state of Minnesotas online fraud form.
How To File For Unemployment Benefits In Minnesota
You may file your claim for unemployment benefits online or by phone. Once you file, you must continue to file weekly claims with the DEED for each week for which you are claiming benefits.
Once it receives your application, the DEED will send you some documents, including a Determination of Benefit Account, indicating your potential weekly benefit amount and duration.
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How Much Are Unemployment Benefits In Minnesota
State law establishes a formula requiring the amounts to be determined by the average weekly wage in Minnesota and to be recalculated each year. The amount of benefits vary and are dependent on how much you have earned in your base period The minimum weekly benefit is $38. For unemployment accounts filed effective 8/4/02 the maximum weekly benefit amount is $467. Your weekly benefit amount will be the higher of either:
- 1/26th of your high calendar quarter wage credits up to a maximum of $350, or
- 1/104th of your total base period wages to a maximum of 66 2/3 percent of the current state average weekly wage. The maximum weekly benefit amount is $467.
The maximum amount of benefits you can receive is either 26 times your weekly benefit amount or 1/3 of your total base period wages, whichever is less.
During periods of high unemployment, extended benefits allow applicants to continue receiving unemployment benefit checks after monies in the regular account have been exhausted. At the present time there is a federal extension in Minnesota.
Qif An Employer Has To Reduce Employee Hours Will They Be Eligible For Unemployment
- An employee is not eligible for benefits in any week they work 32 hours or more, or when their gross earnings for the week are equal to or greater than their weekly benefit amount. A partial benefit payment may be made for any week they work fewer than 32 hours and earnings are less than their weekly benefit amount.
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Other Types Of Unemployment Benefits
- If you were part of a large layoff or plant closing, you may be eligible for employment services for laid off workers.
- If you lost your job due to a natural disaster, you may qualify for Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
- Veterans may also qualify for Unemployment Compensation for ex-service members.
- You may be eligible for Trade Readjustment Allowances if your job loss was due to foreign imports.
Reporting Unemployment Income For Taxes
Your states unemployment agency will report the amount of your benefits on Form 1099-G. The IRS gets a copy, and so do you. The form will also show any taxes you had withheld.
You must report these amounts on line 7 of the 2020 Schedule 1, then total all your sources of additional income in Part I of the schedule and transfer the number to line 8 of the 2020 Form 1040.
The economic impact payment or stimulus checks that you might have received are not considered to be unemployment compensation. You do not have to pay taxes on this money.
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How Do I File For Unemployment Benefits In Minnesota
You should file a Minnesota unemployment application as soon as you are terminated from your job. Because the process can take several weeks, it is important to get started as soon as possible.
1. During the Minnesota unemployment application process youll need to supply the following information:
- Mailing address and phone number
- Drivers license or other government issued identification number
- Social Security number
- Employment history for the past 18 monthsemployer name, address, and telephone number, dates of employment , wage rate, reason you stopped working there
2. You can file your unemployment claim online through Minnesotas UI website. UIMN also offers limited phone and TTY service if needed.
3. After up you file a Minnesota unemployment application, know that there is a waiting period of up to three weeks. After this time, if approved, you can begin receiving benefits. Note: Due to the increased volume of claims during the COVID-19 pandemic, wait times may take longer than usual.
4. If you have been approved, your Minnesota unemployment compensation will be delivered weekly. You can receive up to $740 per week depending on how much you made while previously working.
5. Minnesota unemployment laws require you to provide proof that youre searching for new work. This can be done online through the Minnesota unemployment website or over the phone. DEED maintains a list of industries and businesses that are hiring during COVID-19.
How Do I Applyhowdoapply
Apply online or by phone following the instructions and schedules below. After you apply, we will mail you information about how to request benefit payments . If you are eligible for benefits, we will also notify you of your your weekly benefit amount .
Online
You can apply online Sunday – Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Go to www.uimn.org, select Applicants, and then Apply for Benefits.
Call on Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Choose: English, Spanish, Hmong, or Somali. If you need another language, follow the steps on the page to speak to a representative and request an interpreter.
- Twin Cities area: 651-296-3644
- Teletypewriter users: 1-866-814-1252
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How Much Will Your Benefits Be
Once you file for unemployment and are approved, you will begin to receive benefits. Your benefits might come in the form of a check, but more often they will come in the form of a debit card or direct deposit to your bank account. It varies by state. You typically can file weekly online, by email, or by phone.
The amount you receive depends on your weekly earnings prior to being laid off and on the maximum amount of unemployment benefits paid to each worker. In many states, you will be compensated for half of your earnings, up to a certain maximum.
State benefits are typically paid for a maximum of 26 weeks. Some states provide benefits for a lower number of weeks, and maximum benefits also vary based on where you live. In times of high unemployment, additional weeks of unemployment compensation may be available.
Regardless of how much you make, you never can collect more than the state maximum.
Expired Federal Pandemic Unemployment Programs
However, these federal programs ended on September 6, 2021. In some states, they ended even earlier: About half the states decided to stop participating in these programs before they expired.
For weeks of unemployment beginning on or after September 6, 2021, these benefits will no longer be available. That means:
- Benefits will no longer be available to the millions of gig workers, contractors, and freelancers who were receiving unemployment through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.
- Benefits will no longer be available through the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which offered additional benefits to those who were still unemployed when they used up their state benefits.
- Benefits will be reduced for those who were receiving Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, a program that offered $300 extra per week to those collecting unemployment.
All told, experts estimate that more than seven million people lost their benefits on Labor Day, 2021. More than two million more saw their benefits cut by $300 per week.
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What If I’m Unemployed For A Reason Other Than Layoffotherreason
If you are unemployed for any reason other than lack of work, state law requires that we follow a specific process to determine if you are eligible for benefits.
It is important that you provide detailed information about the way your employment ended. If we do not have enough information, we may not be able to determine your eligibility for benefits.
You Could Get A Hefty Tax Refund This Year
On the other hand, if youve been having income tax withheld from your pay for a substantial portion of the year already, you may be way ahead on paying taxes for this year.
In a progressive tax system, such as we have in the U.S., higher levels of income are taxed at much higher rates.
When your employer takes taxes out of your paycheck, the payroll department calculates your income tax withholding as if you will earn the same amount all year.
When you get laid off and make far less over the year, you may get a large portion or all of your income tax withheld back as an unemployment tax refund.
You cant get that over-withheld income tax back until after the end of the year. However, you may be able to make adjustments to minimize your over-withholding, giving you more money to live on now.
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How To Calculate Your Unemployment Benefits
The Balance
Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to calculate exactly how much money you’ll receive through unemployment benefits or for how long you’ll be able to collect those benefits unless your state has an online unemployment calculator. However, there are calculators you can use to estimate your benefits.
Each state has a different rate, and benefits vary based on your earnings record and the date you became unemployed. Once you find out whether you are eligible, you can file a claim for unemployment benefits. If you’re not sure about your eligibility, check with your state unemployment office. You don’t want to lose out on unemployment compensation because you didn’t think you would qualify.
Apply For An Extension Of Unemployment Insurance Benefits
An individual can apply for an extension of UI benefits by continuing to request payment every week that their hours remain substantially reduced or they are unemployed. If their benefit account expires or their balance reaches $0, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development will post a notification at the top of the benefit account home page.
The notification will explain how the person can apply for an extended benefit account. The claimant should click on the link displayed in their account, which invites them to apply for benefits. When a person transitions from UI to PEUC benefits, the benefit amount will not change.
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If You Have A Hearing
- Get your proof together Read the papers from the Unemployment Office about why your employer thinks you should not get unemployment, or why your benefits are being lowered or cut off. Fax any notes, doctors statements or records to the judge. Write down the things you want to say at the hearing, so you dont forget anything.
- Legal help You dont have to have a lawyer, but it can help. At least talk to one for advice about how to handle the hearing yourself. Call your legal aid office for help or referrals.
If you lose the appeal, you may have an overpayment. That means that you have to pay back any benefits that you got.
For more information on appeals go online to or call 296-3795.
Minnesota Unemployment Benefits And Eligibility
COVID-19 UPDATE:Because the coronavirus pandemic has left so many Americans jobless, the federal government has given states more flexibility in granting unemployment benefits. Youll need to apply for these benefits through your states unemployment insurance program, but if you have questions about whether youre eligible for benefits read our COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits and Insurance FAQ. Also, before submitting a claim in Minnesota, be sure to check out Minnesotas claimant handbook.
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How Long Will I Receive Benefits
Usually, most states permit an individual to obtain unemployment for a maximum of 26 weeks or half the benefit year. A benefit year is a period when your claim is established, and it will remain open for one year .
A few states have standardized benefit duration, while most have different durations depending https://fileunemployment.org/unemployment-benefitsupon the worker. In a state with varied duration, the benefit year may probably include less than 26 payable weeks.The calculation is done using this formula 26 x WBA or 1/3 BPW. Generally, the smallest amount is considered. WBA is the Weekly Benefit Amount, so 26 x WBA would be the regular weekly program. 1/3 BPW refers to the Base Period Wages, so if a person did not succeed to earn more than three times the standard benefit amount, they will be suitable for fewer weeks of coverage.
How To Apply For Unemployment Insurance Benefits
You should apply for unemployment compensation as soon as you are unemployed. Most states will make you wait for one week before you are able to apply for unemployment benefits. However, this is currently waived due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Start by starting your personal information, such as your Social Security Number, previous two years of employment history , the last date you worked, your wage history, and if applicable, information for your union. You may need additional information, such as your education level, military service history, or other information.
Try Applying online first. Most states allow you to apply online, in-person, or over the phone. However, states are currently overburdened with applications and many are not accepting in-person applications. So your best bet is to try online first. Be patient, as many states are running antiquated systems that are not designed to handle the flood of applications they are receiving.
Once approved, you may be required to meet with an employment counselor at some point. You will also have to certify your attempts to continue your job search. Most states require this on a weekly basis.
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