Frontline Worker Pay Eligibility and Application

To thank those Minnesotans who worked on the frontlines during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency, Gov. Tim Walz signed Frontline Worker Payments into law April 29, 2022, enabling those workers to apply for Frontline Worker Pay.

Eligibility

Eligibility is based on both work requirements and job sector. Visit www.dli.mn.gov/toolkit for an explanation of the requirements, the most up-to-date information and helpful resources. Also, sign up to receive alerts about Frontline Worker Pay via email.

To be eligible for Frontline Worker Pay, the applicant:

  • must have been employed at least 120 hours in Minnesota in one or more frontline sectors between March 15, 2020, and June 30, 2021;
  • for the hours worked during this time period the applicant –
    • was not able to telework due to the nature of the individual’s work and
    • worked in close proximity to people outside of the individual’s household;
  • must meet the income requirements for at least one year between Dec. 31, 2019, and Jan. 1, 2022–
    • workers with direct COVID-19 patient care responsibilities must have had an adjusted gross income of less than $350,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly, or less than $175,000 for other filers and
    • for workers in occupations without direct COVID-19 patient care responsibilities, the adjusted gross income limit is $185,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly, or $85,000 for other filers; and
  • must not have received an unemployment insurance benefit payment for more than 20 weeks on a cumulative basis for weeks between March 15, 2020, and June 26, 2021.

Where to apply, timeline

The Frontline Worker Pay application is open June 8 through July 22, 2022. Eligible workers will have 45 days to apply for Frontline Worker Pay.

Applications can be submitted at frontlinepay.mn.gov. The 45-day application period will be followed by a 15-day period to allow for appeals from those whose applications were denied. After verification and processing of the applications are completed, payments are anticipated in early fall. All applications will move through the process at the same time and payments will be forwarded for processing together.