Overpayments occur when applicants receive benefit payments they were not eligible to receive. This may be due to:

• a job separation,
• correction of base period wages,
• not reporting earnings accurately, or;
• an initial decision that allowed benefits is later reversed by an unemployment law judge.

Regardless of the cause, benefit payments received in error are required to be repaid to the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance (UI) Program. Applicants are notified when an overpayment is determined.

Sending the UI Program your U.S. Bank Reliacard (debit card) is not equivalent to repaying any overpayment. You must send payment.

Fraud Overpayment

Applicants having a fraud overpayment are ineligible for unemployment benefits until the fraud overpayment, penalties and interest are paid in full. For more information, see Applicant Fraud.

Non-Fraud Overpayment

Applicants having a non-fraud overpayment on their account will have the overpaid amount deducted from their benefit payments. If an applicant fails to repay an overpayment, the amount due is recovered by deducting it from future benefits, intercepting the applicant’s state tax refund, garnishing the applicant’s wages, putting a levy on bank account, putting a lien on personal property or referring it to a collection agency.