[Minnesota] Got a letter 6 months after benefits for an $8.5k overpayment

[moriarty777]

I searched for this but didn't see too much advice, and none for MN. Sorry if this breaks any rules.

I quit my retail job Jan. 29th to pursue a new field. I took a little vacation and had just begun the job search when the pandemic hit, making finding a job very difficult. I looked on the uimn website and it seemed like I qualified under the new covid restrictions, since I was totally able to work but was having trouble finding a job. I was on unemployment starting 3/15, it ended for me 7/25, and I just got a letter 9/16 from MN saying I had been overpaid $8.5k. I know under normal circumstances, MN says if you quit you aren't eligible for UI, but it was my understanding from the website that under the circumstances, those rules were relaxed, there were new COVID rules in place and I was eligible, because I was currently unable to find work. I said all this in my unemployment application and was quickly approved, so I am a little confused. Here is the letter, pages one and two.

It said I am not eligible for unemployment benefits until I requalify, which it said I could do by working after 1/29 and earning at least $1500. I moved back to my parents house and have done some minor illustration work for my mom which probably totals $1500 over the last six months. Is that a way out? Is it even worth appealing? Does anyone have any experience with this?

Anything helps, thanks very much for your time, advice, and thought.

 

[johnarrran]

@moriarty777 Well, you QUIT your job Jan 29th, which would already disqualify you from unemployment. The new covid restriction if I recall correctly, is if you quit your job due to fear of COVID. Which, you did not. As for getting accepted.. March was the beginning of huge unemployment due to covid. They could not keep up with the demand so almost any one that applied got accepted and sent money. Now that they are catching up, they are going back and verifying every claim and making sure they are correct. which would bring it to why you would owe all that money. As for the $1500 of work you did for your mother, I dont know 100% but I would assume they would classify that as a contractor and you would need proof of the $1500 like a 1099. Hopefully you can get it fixed! Everyone needs all the help they can get right now.

 

[wingsofrefuge]

@moriarty777 You quit your job. You weren’t eligible for UI.

 

[resjudicata]

@moriarty777 Generally not being able to find work does not qualify you for unemployment. Which option did you select when you applied? As for the disqualification, states usually require that the work performed is covered (w2). Otherwise everyone can say they earned enough to re-qualify. Also, you say you earned that within the last 6 months but did you report it on your weekly claims or not? If you were paid with paystubs you can use it, if it was cash you can't.

 

[anewcreation]

@moriarty777 Sorry if you quit for personal then not eligible. Not being able to find a job because of bad economy is not a covered reason according to Fed DOL

Eligibility –COVID-19 Related Reasons 14.Question: If an individual becomes unemployed for reasons unrelated to COVID-19, and now is unable to find work because businesses have closed or are not hiring due to COVID-19, is he or she eligible for PUA?

Answer: No. An individual is only eligible for PUA if the individual is otherwise able to work and available to work but is unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable for work for a listed COVID-19 related reason under Section 2102(a)(3)(A)(ii)(I) of the CARES Act. Not being able to find a job because some businesses have closed and/or may not be hiring due to COVID-19 is not an identified reason "

Since you were not diagnosed with COVID etc.

Doing minor illustration work does not really count as you cannot prove you lost any income and were not self employed prior to COVID -- and working for your mom is not going to cut it --

 

[dmaxie61]

@moriarty777 You took liberties reading Covid into your situation. You were unemployed for a reason unrelated to Covid. It's well documented that covid making it more difficult to find a job is not going to get you paid. You have to be connected to a job that gets effected by Covid. Your appeal will not be successful unless you have something else nothing your OP.

 

[forrestzzz]

@moriarty777 Sounds like you should’ve been under PUA instead of regular UI - but even on PUA you would need to be able to prove you were looking for work/couldn’t find work due to covid if they ever audited you (like they are now). It’s going to be tough considering you voluntarily quit before covid

Edit: did you claim any of that $1500 on your weekly claims? If not, and you bring it up, that might be another red flag since you didn’t report that income.

 

[blessart]

@moriarty777 I would try and appeal this. Not sure where it would go, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. It could potentially lead to multiple penalty weeks in the future .... example : if you get a job, work steady for over a year and for some unforeseen issue lose that job and need to file again.

 

[moriarty777]

Well, looks like I'm boned. I'll give them a call to double check. Thanks everyone!

 

[visilda]

@moriarty777 Wow these letters are getting real common lol. Sucks. They are coming for blood now.