New York State is rolling out a new program that will secure benefits for residents who lost work during the COVID pandemic but have been ineligible to collect federal unemployment benefits.
Consumer Credit Counseling Service, which has offices in Erie and Niagara Counties, has been selected to administer in Western New York what’s known as the Excluded Workers Fund.
“New York State has implemented the Excluded Workers Fund, which sets money aside for people who were affected financially, during the pandemic mainly lost their employment, but were not eligible to get unemployment or other federal relief benefits,” said Noelle Carter, president and chief executive officer of CCCS.
The program is open to qualified individuals who worked non-traditional jobs. But the primary population that this program may serve is the undocumented immigrant community.
Carter says those who pushed for the creation of the Excluded Workers Fund contend that these undocumented immigrants, while ineligible for state and federal unemployment or other COVID-related relief, were working in the United States and were paying taxes on that income.
“They, most times, are lower income to start, and then being pushed further back financially, by losing their jobs through no fault of their own, and then not being able to sustain their household because of it,” she said.
To qualify, a recipient:
- Must have lived in New York State before March 27, 2020, and continue to live in New York State;
- Is not eligible for and did not receive unemployment insurance or any other COVID-19 income relief or other specified benefits from the state or federal government;
- Earned less than $26,208 in the 12 months prior to April 2021; and
- Lost at least 50% of weekly work-related earnings or household income at any point in time between February 23, 2020, and April 1, 2021 due to total or partial unemployment, or inability or unavailability to work due to the COVID-19 pandemic or, became responsible for a majority of their household income due to death or disability of the head of household.
The fund totals approximately $2.1 billion. Eligible recipients may receive up to $15,600.
For more information, call 716-712-2060. More information is also available online through the New York State Department of Labor.
Carter notes that those seeking assistance through this program should not worry about getting in trouble because of their immigration status.
“They don't have to prove their immigration status to qualify for this benefit,” she said. “So it's important that we try to establish trust, in order to make sure that these people have access to what they're eligible for.”
