January 25, 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.
COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution Update
As we reported previously, New Yorkers in Phase 1a and 1b groups are eligible to receive the vaccine.
The full list of all vaccine eligibility categories can be found here.
Appointments are required in order to be vaccinated. Due to limited supply of the COVID vaccine from the federal government, the State has reported that it could take up to 14 weeks for eligible New Yorkers to schedule their vaccine shot. Please visit the NYC COVID-19 Vaccine Finder here or call 877-VAX-4NYC for more information, to find a vaccine hub near you, or to schedule an appointment. Additional sites are coming online every day, so please continue to check the site often.
More information can be found here.
DHS Vaccination Sites
DSS is in the process of establishing vaccination distribution sites to deliver vaccinations to DHS shelter staff and residents. The first sites began providing vaccines on January 18 and will continue to do so as long as the supply of vaccines remains available. Staff and residents of DHS shelters have the option of using the DSS site or the City’s Vaccination Hubs.
Federal Eviction Moratorium Extended by the Biden Administration
On January 20, 2021, President Joseph Biden extended nationwide existing protections from residential evictions for non-payment of rent until March 31, 2021 in an effort to prevent the further spread of Covid-19. However, New York City tenants have broader protections from eviction under a New York State law called the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act as well as a statewide order of the Office of Court Administration. Under this law and order, all pending eviction cases in New York City Housing Court are stayed through February 28, 2021. Tenants sued in eviction proceedings cannot be evicted during that time and new eviction proceedings may not be filed. In addition, tenants who have suffered financial hardship during the pandemic or who would suffer hardship as a result of having to move will be protected from eviction for nonpayment of rent and in some holdover cases until at least May 1, 2021 if they sign and deliver a “Hardship Declaration” to their landlord, to their landlord’s agent, or to the Housing Court (if they have a pending case). More information about State law protections from eviction may be on the COVID-19 Community updates page on our website.
New York City tenants with questions about how the Biden order or State law may affect them or how to prepare the required Hardship Declaration to be protected from eviction can access free legal assistance through HRA’s Office of Civil Justice by contacting the City’s Tenant Helpline via 311.
Income Savings Plan (ISP) Notices
Our request to the State to postpone the Income Savings Plan (ISP) notices that were due to be issued to clients in shelter has been extended. The prior postponement expired on January 21, 2021 and has now been extended through April 20, 2021 to parallel the extension of the Public Health Emergency. Additionally, DSS has been authorized to apply good cause for any non-payment of ISP contributions which were required to be paid during the months of March 2020 through April 2021.
Periodic Report and Six-Month Mailer
In response to our request to the State, we have received permission to refrain from taking negative action for Cash Assistance and SNAP cases that are due for a six-month mailer/periodic report response in the months of January – March 2021 under these circumstances: If a client does not submit or submits an incomplete SNAP Periodic Report or CA Six-Month mailer we will not have to take negative case actions.
Federal Stimulus Funds Impact on Benefits Eligibility
As we reported last week, the State OTDA and SDOH have now clarified that the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) supplement of $300/week as well as the $600 stimulus payments are excluded from consideration as income for the purposes of calculating SNAP, Cash Assistance and HEAP benefits, as well as for Medicaid. All income received through FPUC and/or Economic Impact Payments is excluded as income and disregarded as a resource in eligibility determinations for SNAP, Cash Assistance and HEAP benefits, as well as Medicaid. In addition, any lump sum received under FPUC, if received retroactively, is excluded as income and therefore is not subject to the lump sum provisions for these benefits.
Regular State Unemployment Insurance Benefits (UIB) is treated as income by the State in the same way that it was prior to the pandemic. The exclusion only applies to Federal supplement and stimulus payments.
For SNAP recipients, the December 2020 federal stimulus legislation provides a 15 percent increase in SNAP benefits for six months (through June 30, 2021) for all SNAP participants. This increase will be included in February SNAP benefits. The January increase will be included with the SNAP Emergency Supplement for January that the State will issue.
Medicaid Renewal Extension
Medicaid renewals have been extended through April 2021. All Medicaid cases that were due to expire during the months of March 2020 through April 2021 are extended for 12 months.
Federal Expansion of Nutrition Assistance Programs
On January 22, the USDA announced several plans to address food insecurity at both the Federal and State level. We will provide updates as more details of these plans become available.
- Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) benefits will be increased, providing additional money to families whose children are missing regular meals due to school closures. The current P-EBT program is capped at $5.86 per child per school day, and it will be increased by approximately 15%.
- USDA and the Department of Justice are planning to grant individual states the authority to provide additional SNAP benefits as Emergency Allotments to the lowest-income households.
- The Thrifty Food Plan — a nutritional plan used as the basis for designing SNAP benefits for decades — will be revised to better reflect the current cost of maintaining a healthy diet.
In addition to these changes, President Biden is calling on Congress to:
- Extend the 15% SNAP benefit increase through September 2021;
- Invest $3 billion in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Woman, Infants, and Children (WIC);
- Support restaurants by partnering with them to provide food to those who need it;
- Temporarily cut the state match requirements for SNAP; and
- Provide U.S. Territories with $1 billion in additional nutrition assistance funding
Immigration Related Federal Executive Orders
As a part of President Biden's first day in office, he signed 17 Executive Orders, several of which relate to immigration topics that impact HRA clients.
An order called "Preserving and Fortifying Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)" provides that the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Attorney General, should take all actions he deems appropriate to preserve and fortify DACA. President Biden has called on Congress to enact legislation providing permanent status and a path to citizenship for those immigrants.
The Biden "Executive Order on the Revision of Civil Immigration Enforcement Policies and Priorities," recognizing the important role immigration and immigrants have played in strengthening the U.S., reverses the Trump administration's executive order 13768 of January 25, 2017, called "Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States", and directs revised guidance on any policies or actions taken under EO 13768. The order commits to upholding due process while safeguarding the dignity and well-being of all and maintaining national security as well as enforcing civil immigration laws in a way that stays true to these values.
Additional Immigration-Related Executive Actions
In addition to the President’s Executive Orders, on January 20, 2021, Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary David Pekoske issued a memo halting deportations for a large portion of non-citizens for 100 days. The 100-day deportation pause was put in place to give the federal government time to review the agency’s practices and policies to determine the best ways to utilize its resources, referencing the situation on the southwest border as well as the pandemic. The memo also lays out the agency’s interim enforcement priorities during those 100 days, effective February 1, 2021, as protecting national security, border security, and public safety.
But here are two important things to note: 1) while the memo clearly states the enforcement priorities, it also says that the apprehension or detention of individuals unlawfully in the United States who are not identified as priorities for enforcement is not prohibited during this time; and 2) the memo does not halt deportations completely — those who engage in or are suspected of terrorism or espionage, were not physically present in the U.S. by November 1, 2020, or have voluntarily waived any rights to remain in the U.S. are still subject to deportation.
Earned Income Tax Credit/Free Tax Preparation Services
The Department of Social Services/Human Resources Administration (DSS/HRA) is partnering with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) to help working individuals and families learn about and claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in order to reach more eligible New Yorkers. The EITC provides critical supports for workers earning low to moderate wages. Eligible individuals claim, on average, $2,400 in tax credits which can put working New Yorkers on the path to securing better housing, obtaining dependable transportation, paying for quality childcare, or pursuing higher education.
The IRS estimates that one in five eligible workers nationally do not claim the EITC, missing out on millions of dollars they have earned. We want to make sure our potentially eligible clients do not miss out on thousands of dollars every year because they are not aware of the EITC. Our goal is to reach out to potentially qualifying working clients, educate them about the credit, and encourage them to file and claim it. This includes workers who:
- Are self-employed or have income from a farm or business
- Have a disability
- Have no qualifying child
- Are not proficient in English
- Are older (e.g., grandparents)
- Have no tax filing requirement
- Are recently divorced, have reduced income, are recently unemployed, or are experiencing other changes to their marital, financial, or parental status
DCWP is offering free tax prep services, and IRS certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly (VITA/TCE) through which knowledgeable volunteer preparers will help individuals complete an accurate tax return. New Yorkers can visit NYC Free Tax Prep (nyc.gov/taxprep) for more information on how to file taxes for free or call 311 and ask for tax preparation assistance. Individuals can also learn about other tax credits they may be eligible to claim. Choose the way that works for your constituents:
- Virtual Tax Prep — In-Person Tax Prep but online.
- Assisted Self-Prep – Clients can do their own taxes online using free filing software but phone or email a volunteer for help.
- Drop-off Service – Clients can drop off their tax documents and pick up the completed return later.
- In-Person Tax Prep — Sit down with a volunteer preparer. Find a location at nyc.gov/taxprep.
Taxes must be filed by April 15th to claim the EITC.
Suspension of the Billing Process for SNAP, Cash Assistance and Medicaid Overpayment Cases
Legally required recovery for overpayments and repayable grants for SNAP, Cash Assistance and Medicaid has been extended as a result of the extension of the public health emergency. Enforcement actions remain stayed pending the extension of the public health emergency through April 21, 2021.
Fair Hearings
State Fair Hearings are continuing telephonically throughout the pandemic. Client notices with Fair Hearing information provide a unique phone number that clients can use to request a pre-hearing HRA conference by phone. Once a pre-hearing conference to resolve a hearing issue is requested, clients will be contacted by HRA at or around the date and time requested by the client.
As Fair Hearing determinations are made, the agency is complying with the determinations. When a Fair Hearing finds in favor of the client, benefits will be re-instated, including any rental subsidies.
SNAP Recertification – Alternate Timeline Extensions
For cases that are due for recertification in the months of January, February and March and eligible for an extension, whether on a 12, 24 or 48-month recertification timeline, will receive up to a six-month extension. As such, if a two-year recertification were due during the period that we are extending recertifications, that recertification would be extended for up to six-months. Pursuant to the recertification waiver that we received, we are not able to grant extensions beyond that time period.
Emergency SNAP Allotments and Stimulus SNAP Temporary Increase
As it has in prior months during the public health emergency, State OTDA is issuing an emergency SNAP supplement to households who were issued SNAP benefits for January 2021 and whose issuance was less than the maximum allotment for their household size. The amount of the supplement is the difference between the amount the household was issued and the maximum allotment.
As we reported previously, the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Act includes a provision to increase SNAP benefits by fifteen percent for a limited time (through June 30, 2021). The increase for January benefits will be disbursed to all SNAP recipients with the distribution of the SNAP emergency supplement for January. The State has advised us that these supplements will be issued on January 15, 19-22 and 25-29, with benefits available the following day.
Further information regarding the emergency supplemental allotment of SNAP benefits is available here.
Federal Emergency Relief Act – SNAP Student Eligibility
The Federal Emergency Relief Act temporarily expands the SNAP student eligibility rules by amending the allowable exemptions to the work rule in two additional ways:
- A student is eligible if he or she is eligible to participate in state or federal work-study, regardless if the student is actively employed or participating in work-study; and
- Any student that has an “expected family contribution” of $0 may participate in SNAP if otherwise eligible.
These amended eligibility qualifications for students will be in effect until 30 days after the COVID–19 federal public health emergency is lifted.
Students granted eligibility under the amended qualifications will maintain student eligibility until the next recertification regardless of whether the emergency declaration is lifted at any time during the certification period. More details about SNAP student eligibility are available on the OTDA SNAP website.
Reasonable Accommodation Process for DHS Shelter Residents
DHS applicants and clients may request a reasonable accommodation at any point in time and do not need to use specific language (e.g., reasonable accommodation) in order to ask for help that they need because of a disability or medically-related condition. Applicants and clients may ask for help because of a disability from staff at any intake, assessment, or shelter location. They may complete the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form (DHS-13) and if they need assistance with completing the request form, staff can help. Please note that applicants and clients do not have to fill out the request form to request an accommodation; staff can fill out the request form on behalf of the client. Once a request is made, the request will be reviewed. If documentation is needed for a condition/need that is not obvious or apparent, supporting documentation will be needed from the client so that the request can be reviewed. Applicants and clients can use this process for any reasonable accommodation requests, including single room requests. More information is available here: DHS Reasonable Accommodation Flyer.
HEAP Application Status
Applicants can check on the status of a HEAP applications by calling the State OTDA Helpline at 800.342.3009.
Hart Island Cemetery Management RFP
The New York City Department of Social Services/Human Resources Administration is seeking qualified vendors to provide cemetery management on Hart Island through respectful and responsible disposition of remains of indigent and/or unclaimed deceased New York City residents; and maintenance of the burial grounds at Hart Island in an aesthetically pleasing and welcoming environment for visitors. Responses to the RFP are due on February 16, 2021. Additional details for the RFP can be found at the City Record Online here.
City contracting opportunities are now available through the City’s digital procurement portal, PASSPort. Should your organization be interested in submitting a proposal, please be aware that the City requires all organizations have a PASSPort account to submit responses to opportunities released in PASSPort. To create a PASSPort account, click here. For simple step-by-step instructions on creating a PASSPort account, please refer to this one-page Account Creation Guide. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact help@mocs.nyc.gov.
Access-A-Ride updates
As we reported previously, the MTA resumed fair collection for Access-A-Ride on January 19, 2021. Eligible Access-A-Ride customers are able to apply for the Fair Fares discount through ACCESS HRA.
The MTA has re-opened three of the six Access-A-Ride assessment centers that have been closed since the start of the pandemic. The open MTA Paratransit Assessment Centers are:
- New York Doctors Urgent Care – 65 West 13th Street, Manhattan
- Horizon Healthcare – 101 Ellis Street., Staten Island
- Excellence Physical Therapy - 1811 Hone Avenue, Bronx
Free COVID-19 Testing Sites
Free testing continues to be available throughout the five boroughs. Getting frequent tests should be every New Yorker's goal. Don't stop at just one test. 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. These are no cost testing sites open to all New Yorkers.
The Test-and-Trace corps now offers the COVID 19 Wait Times Dashboard. This dashboard displays estimated wait times for NYC Health + Hospitals COVID-19 testing locations. This wait time information is updated by site staff every two hours.
NYC Test & Trace Corps has created a folder of documents for public sharing, including flyers, palm cards, holiday guidance, travel guidelines, and more. The documents are available online here.
Financial Resources for NYC Businesses and Nonprofits
The NYC Economic Development Corporation has compiled a number of financial resources available to NYC businesses and nonprofits, along with business guidance, to help with COVID-19 relief and recovery. The can be accessed here: COVID-19 Business Relief Resources | NYCEDC
Plentiful Pantry App
Plentiful is an app that lets New Yorkers find food pantries and make reservations ahead of time. There is a map of pantries all over NYC with over 300 locations. With Plentiful, pantries can easily keep track of clients, and clients can manage pantry visits directly from their phone. Pantries use Plentiful to manage reservations and communicate with clients. Clients get reservation reminders on their phone. Plentiful was created by The New York City Food Assistance Collaborative, a coalition of public and private organizations working to alleviate hunger in New York City. Collaborative members include the NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, City Harvest, United Way of New York City, the New York City Human Resources Administration - EFAP, and the New York State Department of Health Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program.
NYS Housing and Community Renewal COVID Rent Relief Program Deadline
Reminder that the new deadline is February 1. As we have reported previously, the New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) re-opened the COVID Rent Relief Program with expanded eligibility criteria in an effort to serve New Yorkers who many not have had the opportunity to apply during the initial round of State grants or those who may have been previously ineligible. Applications are due February 1, 2021. Additional information can be found on our DSS COVID-19 Community Updates page.
Applications are available on the COVID Rent Relief portal at hcr.ny.gov/RRP. For assistance applying, tenants can call 833-499-0318, email covidrentrelief@hcr.ny.gov, or call 311 and ask for the “Tenant Helpline” to be connected with tenant support specialists who can help navigate the application process.
Community-wide Conference Call
We appreciate your continued participation in 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.
If you were not able to join our weekly call (usually on Tuesdays), please find an audio recording here and use Covid-19 as the password. The information contained in this communication is a synopsis of what was shared.
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
