DEED begins authorizing unemployment payments to high school students

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KEYC) — The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development will begin the process of issuing unemployment payments to student workers Friday.

The agency had been waiting for the court’s final order, and additional clarity from the court was issued this week.

“DEED will begin making payments to student workers who qualify for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program,” DEED Commissioner Steve Grove said. “We are moving as quickly as possible to issue those retroactive PUA payments and encourage any high school student whose job has been impacted by COVID-19 to apply at www.uimn.org, immediately.”

Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis, and the agency is encouraging everyone to apply as soon as possible. The U.S. Department of Labor issued clarification Thursday that applications could be accepted after the Dec. 26 deadline, although this decision has not yet been finalized.

DEED says students who already applied do not need to apply again and that it is reviewing an applicant’s information and will determine their eligibility. DEED says it will reach out to applicants if the agency needs more information.

For students who are eligible right away, DEED will inform them of what to do next. The agency expects to begin authorizing payments as soon as Friday, but it may take a few days for this to appear in an applicant’s bank account.

A step-by-step instruction guide has been included below.