Appeal window closes on "Hero Pay," payment amounts yet to be determined
MINNEAPOLIS -- More than a million Minnesotans are one step closer to an extra paycheck.
Nearly 1.2 million people applied to get Hero Pay for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state denied more than 200,000 applications, and the appeal window has now closed.
Now, the state needs to calculate how big each bonus will be. The state allocated $500 million for the program to be divided equally among those approved. The state's initial estimate was that 667,000 people were eligible for Hero Pay, meaning they would get $750 a person.
Those eligible for Hero Pay will get the money in the fall between September and October. It will be either a direct deposit or a prepaid debit card.
Gov. Tim Walz signed the Frontline Worker Payments bill into law on April 29. The bonus checks were something lawmakers promised for months, although Republicans and Democrats butted heads over which workers should qualify and how much they should receive.
