Paid Leave application delay? Even a small error can be to blame

Paid Leave application delay? Even a small error can be to blame Brett Hoffland KSTP Paid Leave application delay? Even a small error can be to blame We are more than 10 months into Minnesota’s Paid Leave program, and 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS continues to receive emails from viewers about delays in application approval. The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), which oversees the program, insists there’s a reason why some people’s applications are not being promptly processed. DEED says that through September, 156,334 Minnesotans have applied for the Paid Leave program, while 117,224 have been approved. They say the average time to hear back is two to three weeks, and many hear back sooner, but that even small mistakes on the application can lead to big delays. Angie Baker’s daughter Alayah was born in April. She came seven weeks early. “She was 3 pounds, 7 ounces, so she was itty bitty,” said Baker, who lives in West St. Paul. Baker was filled with joy to meet her daughter, but soon after she realized there was an issue with her maternity leave. “They kind of explained that I did a mishap on the application,” Baker said. The mistake caused Baker’s application for Paid Leave to be processed based on her part-time job rather than her full-time job, which drastically impacted how much money she received. “I was told they pushed it through so I would receive some sort of benefit,” Baker said. After resubmitting her application, it took Baker six months to get her full payment. The wait took a toll. “We got mortgage in forbearance, maxed out credit cards, late fees, credit went down a lot,” Baker said. Mistakes like these are leading to delays for other Minnesotans. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has been receiving emails for weeks about Paid Leave issues. We reached out to DEED, which tells us, “Paid Leave has extensive controls for program integrity. Applications that are submitted as complete, with all required documentation and no discrepancies, are processed within a few weeks. Those are the most common causes for delays.” DEED added this about applications: “Applications that are incomplete, lacking required documentation, have discrepancies, etc., will require additional follow-up that can prolong the review process. Applicants must also notify their employers in advance of their intention to apply for leave. The list of controls is below… 1. All Paid Leave applications require a qualifying condition. For leave to take care of your own medical condition or a family member, this means a serious health condition as defined in the law, certified by a qualified health care provider. 2. Applications cannot be processed if required documentation from the provider is missing. We also verify the certifying providers to ensure they are legitimate and meet the law’s requirements for the type of leave requested. 3. Every application undergoes rigorous individual review by trained adjudicators to ensure compliance. Leave dates and information on the applications must match what is listed in the documentation the provider submits and we contact the applicants with a request for information if discrepancies are found. Applicants cannot revise the provider’s documentation. If revisions are needed, the provider must do this directly. 4. As an additional control measure, employees are required to notify their employers of their intention to submit a leave application. Employers can review all applications from their employees and notify us if an application appears questionable on their end.” DEED says payments cannot be approved until all the correct information and documentation have been received and verified. If someone receives a request for information from the Paid Leave program, they should respond as soon as possible to keep the process moving. If someone has questions before or after they apply, they should reach out to the Minnesota Paid Leave Contact Center at 651-556-7777. “It got resolved, but in the end I’m still behind on money because of all the late fees,” Baker said. Baker is now trying to keep it from happening to anyone else. “Make sure you have no errors on your application. Also, on the state side, I hope they can maybe communicate a little bit better,” Baker said. For more information on Paid Leave, click HERE .