COVID-19: Changes in Unemployment Benefits During the Pandemic

Normally, to get unemployment benefits, you must be able, available, and actively looking for work. Usually being able, available, and actively looking for working means:

• Able: You are mentally and physically ready to work.
   
• Available: You don’t have things going on in your life that would affect your ability to work, like going to school or caring for an ill family member.
   
• Actively seeking: You must look for work while you are getting UI. Only work search that does not put your health or your family’s health at risk is required.

• Stay in touch with your employer about when you can start work again. This takes the place of the ‘looking for work’ requirement.

• Write down when you contact your employer, what they said to you, and what information they gave you.

You don’t need to look for work. Staying in touch with your employer about when your hours go back to normal should be enough.

The regular rules didn’t change. See our fact sheet Unemployment Benefits.

• The regular rules have not changed. You need to look for other childcare and ask your employer for a reasonable accommodation or a change in hours before quitting. See our fact sheet Unemployment Benefits.

• Look for jobs that let you work from home or work when someone else can care for your children.

• If there are no jobs you can do at this time, apply anyway. If you are denied or need further advice, please contact Legal Aid.

• The regular rules have not changed. You need to look for other childcare and ask your employer for a reasonable accommodation or a change in hours before quitting. See our fact sheet Unemployment Benefits.

• You should look for jobs that let you work from home or work when someone else can care for your family member.

• If there are no jobs you can do at this time, apply anyway.  If you are denied or need further advice, please contact Legal Aid.

The regular rules have not changed. See our fact sheet Unemployment Benefits.

• If your doctor or medical professional recommended that you stay home because you are sick or in a high-risk group, you should be able to get unemployment benefits. Make sure you get a doctor’s note.

• You do not have to look for work.

There may be more changes to unemployment benefits as we learn more about COVID-19 and how it affects Minnesota. Please visit the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s website for updates on unemployment benefits and COVID-19 https://www.uimn.org/applicants/needtoknow/news-updates/covid-19.jsp.

You CANNOT get unemployment benefits if you do not have permission to work in the United States.

If you do have permission to work, you CAN get unemployment benefits. You have permission to work if you are a permanent resident, have a work visa, or have a work permit. The government only counts the work you did while you had permission to work.

Unemployment benefits do not count for the public charge rule.