Minnesota’s Frontline Worker Pay application closes

(ABC 6 News) – The deadline for the Minnesota’s Frontline Worker Bonus Pay applications ended at 5 p.m. Friday. People who worked in various frontline jobs during the pandemic were encouraged to apply, and it’s estimated over 1.2 million Minnesotans did.

State officials estimate 667,000 Minnesotans will be deemed eligible, but with double the applicants, that number could be higher.

Samantha Jackson is a single mom of five children and works as a school bus driver for Rochester Public Schools.

Jackson is one of the people hoping to receive the bonus payment, “My work was actually like you should apply for this and told everyone to apply for it so I did … That was before the gas prices started skyrocketing and things really started going up, but now that things are going that way it will also be helpful.”

With inflation reaching new highs, life has been difficult for her family.

“It was tough, the extra food stamps helped a lot to be able to provide food for my children. But yeah, it was hard to get through and help my kids with their school, that was probably the hardest. Just cutting down on what we don’t need and figuring out what would work best for us,” Jackson explained.

She says the money will help pay for back-to-school costs for her kids, as well as provide some relief on outstanding bills.

Minnesota is set to receive $500-million dollars from the federal government to pay out eligible applicants. However, the higher the number of applicants, the lower the amount each Minnesotan will receive. It’s estimated the checks could range anywhere from $500-750 depending on the final number deemed eligible.

According to Jackson, just how many people were affected by the shut downs was severely underestimated.

“A lot of people could use that extra money, especially with the economy and prices the way they are. So I can see why a lot of people applied for it,” Jackson said.

Now that the application window is closed, those who applied will be notified by e-mail. The e-mail will state whether they will be receiving a check, or if their request was denied.

If the application was denied, you are eligible to submit an appeal in the following 15-day appeals period, which is anticipated to be Tuesday, Aug. 16, through Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 5 p.m.

The official number of how many people are eligible will be available after the appeal period.