Unemployment Audits Are On the Rise

UI Audits Are on the Rise – Audio

UI Audits or unemployment audits are on the rise. An audit through Minnesota’s unemployment office looks different to every person. This is true because every person has a different fact pattern or claim for benefits. For some, an audit starts with an on-line questionnaire. For others, an audit starts as a phone call or email. Unfortunately, many do not connect the dots until the appeal stage.

The Pandemic has not been easy for anybody. For those seeking benefits, this is already a known fact. To make matters worse, applicants can spend hours or days calling the unemployment office, only to get disconnected. I share this frustration.

Right or wrong, the unemployment office is following their same pattern they took in the year 2007/2008. Presently, I am seeing trends that are turning from eligibility to a re-review of benefits that date back to early 2020. Again, audits are on the rise.

What makes 2021 and 2022 cases different from the past, is the the fact the unemployment office is following a new set of rules that are poorly vetted by auditors and others. The new rules I am referring too, are those that apply to benefits under the PUA program or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

Taking this into consideration, because every audit looks different, each person impacted by this process should consider a strategy specific to their own situation.