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EXCLUDED WORKERS FUND

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Undocumented New Yorkers who lost their jobs in the midst of the pandemic and
did not qualify for federal unemployment benefits can now apply for financial
relief thanks to a new state fund.The fund, called the Excluded Workers Program,
provides out-of-pocket workers with a payment of up to $15,600 and is primarily
for undocumented immigrants.

The program opened to qualified applicants Tuesday and $2.1 billion in total is
being made available.Unlike other employees, undocumented workers who lost their
jobs—or had their hours cut—due to the pandemic did not qualify for federal
unemployment benefits or stimulus checks. In an effort to compensate these
workers, state lawmakers established the Excluded Workers Program as part of the
2021-2022 New York State budget.



FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

AM I ELIGIBLE?

To be eligible to receive benefits from the EWF program, applicants must show
they:

 * Lived in New York State before March 27, 2020, and continue to live in New
   York State;
 * Are 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.

HOW AND WHEN WILL PAYMENTS BE RELEASED?

Approved applicants will receive a one-time payment on a Visa® prepaid card
mailed to the address provided in their application. The card has ATM access and
can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted in the U.S.

From the date of application, fund administrators estimate that review and
processing will take approximately six to eight weeks. If an application is
incomplete or requires additional information or documents, it may take longer
to process the application. As EWF is a new program and volumes are difficult to
estimate, timeframes are subject to change.

Visa prepaid card is issued by MetaBank®, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a
license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. No recurring payments. Card valid for up to 12
months, funds do not expire and may be available after card expiration date,
fees may apply. Card terms and conditions apply.


HOW DO I PROVE MY WORK ELIGIBILITY?

Applicants may qualify for EWF benefits in one of two amounts, depending on the
information and documents provided below. Each document has a point value.

 * To qualify for the Tier 1 amount of $15,600 (minus taxes), applicants need to
   establish a minimum of 5 points.
 * To qualify for the Tier 2 amount of $3,200 (minus taxes), applicants need to
   establish a minimum of 3 points.

Applicants who do not provide one of the 5-point documents below must submit at
least one of the 3-point documents to be considered eligible for Tier 1. For
example, five 1-point documents cannot be combined for Tier 1.

 * Proof of filing New York State taxes, which must include (A) proof of filing
   a New York State tax return for either tax years 2018, 2019, or 2020 with the
   Department of Taxation and Finance through submission of an electronic
   confirmation of e-filing, Department of Taxation and Finance issued “TF
   assignment letter”, or a bank statement reflecting payments to or from the
   Department of Taxation and Finance; AND (B) proof of a valid United States
   individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) OR a W-7 application for an
   ITIN with proof of submission or filing (5 points)
 * Minimum of 6 weeks of pay stubs in the 6-month period prior to the date the
   applicant certifies the applicant became eligible for benefits (5 points)
 * Minimum of 6 weeks of wage statements from the 6-month period prior to the
   date the applicant certifies the applicant became eligible for benefits (5
   points)
 * IRS W-2 or 1099 from tax year 2019 or 2020 showing wages or income (5 points)
 * Wage Notice from employer documenting employment for a period of time within
   6 months prior to the date the applicant certifies the applicant became
   eligible for benefits (5 points)
 * Documents issued to the applicant by the applicant’s employer showing the
   employer’s mailing address, NYS Unemployment Insurance Account Number or
   Federal Employment Identification Number (FEIN), and contact information of
   an employer representative (including phone number) (1 point)
 * Receipts or records showing a consecutive pattern of commuting to and from a
   work location, such as toll records, parking receipts, or public
   transportation records (1 point)
 * Letter from a charitable organization registered with the NYS Attorney
   General confirming the applicant’s work history, based on direct knowledge
   that the applicant worked for the required duration, acquired in the course
   of conducting intake, interviews, or other standard processes related to
   direct job-related services to the applicant prior to April 19, 2021 (1
   point)
 * Complaint filed with and acknowledged by a local, state, or federal agency or
   court regarding wages owed for work performed in NYS for a period greater
   than 6 weeks in the 6-month period prior to the date the applicant certifies
   the applicant became eligible for benefits (3 points)

NOTE: Applicants must establish that they worked and received compensation for
at least 15 hours per week for a period of greater than 6 weeks in the 6-month
period prior to the date they certify that they became eligible for benefits.
Applicants must also be at least 18 years of age at the time of application.

© 2021, Excluded Workers Fund

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