Minnesota Unemployment Benefits

Understanding Minnesota Unemployment Benefits

Unfortunate and unexpected things can happen in the job market and workplace all the time anywhere, not just in Minnesota. But for employees in Minnesota, it’s important to know of one important resource when hard times hit:

Minnesota unemployment benefits. For many, it’s a financial saving grace.

The thing about MN unemployment benefits, though, is that there are specific requirements and an entire screening and approval process to quality for it. MN unemployment benefits don’t just kick in the moment you lose the job.

The process for obtaining those MN unemployment benefits is important. And this is what you need to know about that process for obtaining MN unemployment benefits:

The Requirements of Minnesota Unemployment Benefits

There are three specific requirements for Minnesota unemployment benefits:

1. “No-Fault” Unemployment

2. An Ability to Work

3. Available for Work

4. Actively Seeking Work

Chances are if you don’t fit any of these requirements, you actually won’t qualify for Minnesota unemployment benefits.

“No-Fault” unemployment can simply be characterized in several ways –

1. Layoff

2. Business Closing

3. Wrongful Termination

It’s extremely important to consider the specific reason why you lost the job before even trying for MN unemployment benefits. You could go through the entire process only to find that you were denied. Seeking a qualified employment law attorney would also be an important piece of advice.

Eligibility for the Minnesota Unemployment Benefit Process

This is also crucial. Understand that in order to go through the Minnesota unemployment benefit process, you also must have high quarter wage credits of at least $1,000. In addition, the other quarters must add up to at least $250 each in income.

If not, chances are you will not qualify for the Minnesota unemployment benefit process.

It’s important also to note that your benefits – once they arrive after approval – will last anywhere between 11 to 26 weeks, and your weekly benefit amount can be up to $566 depending on your eligibility. Typically, that amount is determined by your weekly wage in the high quarter or your average weekly wage overall.

Surprisingly, note that not only can the unemployed file for the Minnesota unemployment benefit process, part-time workers also can file. The administering organization in charge of unemployment in Minnesota is the UIA (Unemployment Insurance Agency).

The Minnesota Unemployment Benefit Process

What happens when you file for unemployment is you explain your situation. Typically, you need pay stubs from all the quarters necessary for eligibility, and the UIA makes a deliberation on the matter. Of course, the UIA will also investigate your previous employment to see their side (if there is another side to it) and get all the information they possibly can to make the best decision.

Typically, you’ll see an answer to the matter of unemployment anywhere from days to even a week.

In the Event of a Denial….

Not all hope is lost, actually. Although the UIA may deny you for any claim, that won’t stop you from appealing the decision and trying for another deliberation. If you feel your claim needs to be revisited, you can revisit it. It also helps a great deal to hire an unemployment lawyer in the realm of employment law to better argue your case.