August 30, 2021
Dear Community Partner:
Thank you for your ongoing partnership in our shared commitment to serve New Yorkers in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following our standing weekly call, we continue to share important updates as well as an ongoing synopsis of the information shared in prior communications which can be found on our DSS COVID-19 Community Updates page. To be added to the invitations for the weekly briefing calls or to the distribution list for this weekly update, please send an email request to dssoutreach@dss.nyc.gov.
We appreciate your ongoing participation in these calls and continuing to raise important issues that we are able to address in this weekly communication of the latest information, which you can share with the clients you serve. We welcome your continued questions and comments in order to help us make sure we are providing the most relevant information and clarifications about the evolving public benefits and government services landscape affecting our shared clients.
COVID-19 Vaccination Updates
COVID-19 Vaccination Record Cards cannot be replaced at this time, but individuals can request an official record of vaccination.
To request a vaccination record:
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Visit My Vaccine Record. To learn how to access records, click on the "Accessing Records tab. Individuals can now use their mobile phone number, email address or IDNYC number to search for immunization records online. Printouts from My Vaccine Record are official reports that can be used for school enrollment and verification, college admissions, camp enrollment and record of COVID-19 vaccination.
The federal Food and Drug Administration has now granted full approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people age 16 and older. The Pfizer vaccine continues to be authorized for emergency use for young people ages 12 to 15. There has been no change to the emergency use authorization for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which continue to be available for people age 18 and older.
Post-vaccination resources and more information about vaccines have been made available online here, including useful information for people who were vaccinated recently:
The City has created a vaccine fact sheet which can be found here.
As a reminder, New York City will pay $100 to anyone who goes to a city-run vaccination site for their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The money will be issued in pre-paid debit cards that can either be emailed to recipients in digital form or mailed in physical form to them. To learn more go to nyc.gov/vaccineincentives. Vaccine incentives are not considered in budgeting for HRA-administered benefits.
NYC continues to offer an incentive to community and faith-based organizations to help get people vaccinated by awarding $100 for each referral for each first dose at a City-run site. When an individual makes an appointment ahead of time or arrives for a walk-in vaccination, they can identify which community organization referred them to get vaccinated. Once they receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the referral organization will be credited $100 after the program ends. Organizations can earn up to $20,000 each. Interested organizations must sign up at nyc.gov/vaccinereferralbonus.
NYC Mobile Vaccine Buses continue to provide vaccines in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens. The full schedule of mobile vaccine locations can be found online here. Walk-ups are welcome and you can also book in advance through the Vax4NYC website.
As a reminder, New Yorkers ages 12 years and older can continue to receive their COVID-19 vaccine without an appointment at select sites across NYC. Sites can be found here. New Yorkers are required to provide proof of age and residency in order to receive the vaccine. Additional information can be found here.
While walk-up vaccines are available at City-operated vaccination sites, appointments can still be made by using vaccinefinder.nyc.gov.
Vaccination and Testing Apps
New Yorkers can meet vaccine and/or testing requirements by carrying their paper vaccination card with them or scanning and storing it in one of two authorized mobile apps - Excelsior Pass Wallet and NYC Covid Safe.
The Excelsior Pass Wallet, developed for New York State, allows an individual to find and store their proof of vaccination right on their phone with a QR code, or to print out their QR code instead. The app will only work for people who have been vaccinated in New York, as it confirms the vaccination information against city or state records. The app, called NYS Wallet, is available for download on iPhone and Android phones.
The NYC Covid Safe app doesn’t connect directly to vaccine records. The app allows a person to upload a vaccine card and/or a recent COVID test. The vaccine card will stay on the app unless removed, but test results will disappear from the app after seven days. The app is also available for download on iPhone and Android phones.
COVID-19 Testing
Free in-home COVID PCR testing is now available for all immunocompromised New Yorkers and people 65+. Call 929-298-9400 to schedule an appointment.
Free testing continues to be available throughout the five boroughs. A schedule of mobile testing locations throughout the City as well as detailed information on locations and types of testing offered at regular testing sites (including rapid testing and antibody tests) can be found here. Locations of testing sites can also be accessed by texting “COVID TEST” to 855-48. These are no cost testing sites open to all New Yorkers.
The Test-and-Trace corps offers the COVID 19 Wait Times Dashboard, which displays estimated wait times for NYC Health + Hospitals COVID-19 testing locations. This wait time information is updated by site staff every two hours.
Department of Education Vaccine Mandate for All Staff
Monday, September 13 is the first day of school for New York City students. All Department of Education employees are required to have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine by Sept. 27, without an option for weekly testing.
National and NYS Eviction Protections – Legal Update
On August 26, 2021 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) exceeded its legal authority in ordering a nationwide moratorium on evictions, following the Supreme Court’s decision on August 12, 2021 that a portion of the NYS COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Protection Act (CEEFPA) was unlawful.
Despite the Supreme Court’s rulings, however, many eviction protections for NYC tenants remain in effect. The Supreme Court’s decision means that submitting a NYS hardship declaration or a declaration under the CDC order has no legal effect. As a result, eviction cases in which a tenant submitted a Hardship Declaration or a CDC declaration form can be scheduled for appearance in Housing Court.
However, under NYS law:
- A tenant cannot be legally evicted without having a court proceeding (including a scheduled court conference) and only after an order by a judge of the Housing Court.
- Tenants whose eviction cases are scheduled for appearance in Housing Court have access to free legal services, regardless of ZIP code, under NYC’s right-to-counsel law. Tenants can access free legal services by calling 311 and asking for the Tenant Helpline or by calling Housing Court Answers at (718) 557-1379, or they can receive access to free legal services at their first scheduled court appearance.
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Tenants who file an application for rent assistance with the NYS Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) will have their eviction case stayed (paused) until their application is reviewed and decided by NYS. Additional protections in eviction proceedings for non-payment of rent will apply to tenants whose applications are approved, and landlords who accept ERAP payments are also restricted from evicting for an expired lease or holdover for a year after the first ERAP payment.
- Tenants who can prove that they had financial hardship during the State COVID-19 emergency period (March 7, 2020 to June 24, 2021) may have a defense in court to eviction for non-payment of rent owed during that period, under the NYS Tenant Safe Harbor Act.
In addition, following the Supreme Court’s ruling on NYS law, the NYS Office of Court Administration (OCA) issued two statewide administrative orders governing residential eviction proceedings, requiring landlords with pending eviction cases to inform the court about the status of emergency rental assistance applications for their tenants, and clarifying when and how the Housing Court can schedule eviction cases for conference in light of the Supreme Court’s decision.
Tenants with questions about their protections from eviction can get free legal advice and other assistance through HRA’s Office of Civil Justice. For more information on how to access free legal services for tenants in NYC, call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline, or visit HRA’s Office of Civil Justice online at www.nyc.gov/civiljustice.
State OTDA Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Program Updates
As a reminder, as required by the State, all clients must have applied for and received a State determination on ERAP before rental arrears can be paid as a One-Shot-Deal or with CityFHEPS.
Please continue to encourage those who may be eligible to apply, and please remember that help is available for landlords and tenants across the City through a network of community-based organizations: https://nyc.gov/erap. Questions can also be answered via the State’s ERAP call center: 844-NY1RENT (844-691-7368) or the hearing-impaired TTY phone number: 1-833-843-8829.
ERAP payments are not countable as income or as a resource for Cash Assistance, SNAP, or HEAP eligibility or for budgeting purposes. For recipients who are granted ERAP benefits for prospective (future) rent, these payments will cover the difference between the Cash Assistance Shelter Allowance grant and the monthly shelter cost.
Tenant Requirement to Provide ERAP Information when Their Landlord Applies
Either a landlord or tenant may initiate an ERAP application. All OTDA ERAP applications require documentation from both the landlord and tenant to be deemed complete and to be reviewed for payment of arrears and other expenses. As such, when a landlord files an ERAP application, tenants are required to provide requisite information to complete the application.
Child Tax Credit (CTC) Information and Resources
The Child Tax Credit (CTC) can help families access up to $3,600 per child between July 15, 2021 and the end of tax season in 2022. Families who file taxes will receive the credit automatically. In NYC, up to 400,000 children are in families who are not currently tax filers, and these families need to take action to benefit from the Child Tax Credit.
Almost anyone with one or more dependent children under 18 is eligible, even those with no income, and claiming the credit does not affect other benefits.
The advance payments will be up to 50% of a filer’s total CTC split into equal monthly payments – up to $300 per month for each qualifying child under the age of 6 and up to $250 per month for each qualifying child between the ages of 6 and 17 for those who start receiving the advance payments in July. Filers will receive the remaining 50% when they file their tax year 2021 return in 2022, as either part of their refund or to reduce any taxes owed.
The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) just launched brand new tax prep sites and developed a number of materials to provide information and support in navigating the CTC. Resources include:
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A recording of their Child Tax Credit training that can be accessed at this link using the password 2021ChildTaxCredit.
The three most impactful things organizations can do to help clients access the Child Tax Credit are:
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Help clients make appointments for tax filing (this can be done at nyc.gov/taxprep).
- Filing taxes helps clients access both the CTC and many other resources available via tax filing. This is the best way to help clients access the most in terms of direct cash payments, and other government-funded or provided resources.
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There are options for in-person or virtual tax prep appointments, drop-off, and online self-prep with help. If in-person or drop-off service is needed, or for services in languages other than English, or for assistance applying for an ITIN, please help clients find a location on this map and call for an appointment.
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Clients need ID, SSN/ITIN, and W2/income statements to file taxes. A full checklist of required documents is available at nyc.gov/taxprep.
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Direct clients to the NYC Free Tax Prep website at nyc.gov/taxprep.
- NYC’s Tax Prep website points clients to several resources, including in-person and virtual tax filing services, and the Child Tax Credit non-filer portal.
Child Tax Credit Funds Garnishment
Overdue taxes or other Federal or State Debts:
The IRS has stated that Advance CTC payments that families receive between July and December will not be used as offsets for federal taxes owed in previous years.
However, the remaining 50% of the CTC that families will receive when they file their 2021 tax return (in 2022) can be used as an offset for federal taxes owed in previous years.
Child Support:
The IRS has stated that CTC funds are not subject to garnishment for child support.
Private Debts:
The IRS has stated that CTC funds are not federally protected from garnishment for private debts. However, New York passed a law in May 2021 (S.5923-A/A.6617-A) that prevents private garnishment of all pandemic-related stimulus or tax credit funds. New Yorkers are protected under this law and their CTC funds cannot be garnished for private debts.
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJ) Update
The State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) has announced that individuals who have been granted Special Immigrant Juvenile status (SIJs) by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) will be considered as Permanently Residing Under Color of Law (PRUCOL) for Safety Net Assistance (SNA) eligibility, effective immediately. To be eligible for SIJ status non-citizens must be unmarried, under 21 without legal immigration status, and must have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by at least one parent. Prior to USCIS recognizing an individual as a SIJ, that individual must have a qualifying juvenile court order issued by a state court.
Under this new policy, non-citizens granted SIJs who are otherwise eligible will be eligible to receive SNA, but ineligible for Family Assistance (FA), the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) because of federal eligibility limitations. In order to demonstrate USCIS SIJs approval, clients may provide the following documents:
- Form I-797, Notice of Action, indicating approval of an I-360 petition for SIJs, or
- Any other authoritative USCIS or government document indicating that a non-citizen is an SIJ.
Medicaid and Medicare Applications Easements Extended
Easements on new applications for the Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program have been extended. Application processing, which had previously been set to resume on November 1, 2021, will not resume until at least January 1, 2022.
NYS Department of Labor Updates
On September 5, 2021, several Federal unemployment benefit programs will be expiring across the country, in accordance with federal law.
The Federal benefit programs that will be expiring are:
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)
- Extended Benefits (EB)
- $300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC)
“Regular” Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits from the NYS Department of Labor will continue to be paid to eligible claimants even though these four Federal programs are ending. To be considered eligible for UI after September 5, 2021, a claimant would need to be unemployed AND be in the first 26 weeks (or 104 effective days) of benefits. Claimants can find their effective days remaining for UI benefits in their online Payment History. Because FPUC is ending, any weeks a claimant is eligible to receive UI benefits after September 5, 2021 will no longer include the additional $300.
Claimants will be contacted by the NYS Department of Labor through emails and text messages to inform them of which program they are currently in and whether they will be eligible to continue receiving benefits after the federal benefit expiration date.
The US Department of Labor (USDOL) has asked States to accept new PUA claims for a period of 30-days after September 5, 2021. The NYS Department of Labor will accept those claims, evaluate for eligibility, and backdate where appropriate, as required by USDOL.
HRA Office of Child Support Services – Snapshot Online Tool Update
The Child Support Snapshot online tool allows community organizations and government agencies to assist noncustodial parents with their child support case. The tool has just been expanded to offer individual case information for custodial parents, too. The custodial parent case details include their upcoming court dates, monthly child support order amount, last five child support payments received, potential funds being held for them, and a summary of recommended next steps. By using Snapshot, organizations can find out whether or not a client has a child support case and share child support program information with custodial parents and information on how to apply. For noncustodial parents, the Snapshot presents case information including upcoming court dates, monthly child support order amount, last five child support payments, potential refund information, and recommended next steps such as links to employment and how to reduce child support debt. Organizations must sign a Snapshot agreement to gain access to the system and submit the parents’ waiver forms to view their case information. To sign up for Snapshot, email OCSS at dcse.cseweb@dfa.state.ny.us, with “Snapshot” in the email subject line.
Notify NYC
Notify NYC, part of New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM), is New York City’s official source for information about emergency events and important City services. Sign up for Notify NYC to receive free emergency alerts and updates by visiting NYC.gov/notifynyc, calling 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY: 212-504-4115), following @NotifyNYC on Twitter, or getting the free Notify NYC mobile application for your Apple or Android device. Notify NYC messages are available in multiple languages, audio format, and American Sign Language (ASL) video format.
Community-wide Conference Call
We appreciate your continued participation on our weekly briefing calls and your ongoing work to help make sure that the critical information and details about changes we are making in response to the pandemic are being communicated to our clients. Your active engagement is appreciated, and your questions and suggestions help us better understand the needs of those we serve and respond accordingly.
The information contained in this communication is a synopsis of what was shared as well as new developments.
Each week, we will provide all of the information included in each of our prior communications on our website on the COVID-19 Community Updates page. If you would like to reference a specific prior communication, links to each of the prior communications can be found on the community updates page.
As a reminder, we have a standing informational call on Tuesdays at 4:00PM. In the event that the date or time of the weekly call needs to change due to extenuating circumstances, a notification is sent out from DSSoutreach@dss.nyc.gov, in addition to an updated calendar invitation to those who have signed up to join the calls. To be added to this list, please reach out to DSSoutreach@dss.nyc.gov.
Please note that there are several hundred participants on these weekly calls, and as a result they may start a few minutes late to allow as many people to join as possible and hear all the information. In addition, the large number of participants does not allow us to have individual conversations efficiently, which is why we respond to individual inquiries through the chat box. If you have additional questions after the call, please reach out to DSSoutreach@dss.nyc.gov or the appropriate contact area listed on our COVID 19 Community Updates page.
CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is available during these calls as an accommodation for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Please contact oria@dss.nyc.gov at least four hours prior to the call to enable this service.
As always, thank you for your continued partnership in serving New Yorkers in need, particularly now when our clients need us more than ever. If you have any questions or concerns about the changes we have made and are continuing to develop to address the COVID pandemic, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Office of Advocacy and Outreach at DSSoutreach@dss.nyc.gov.
Sincerely,
Steven Banks
DSS Commissioner
New York City Department of Social Services
