- What can I do if I don't receive
my monthly pension check?
If you believe your monthly benefits allowance is lost in the mail, or you haven't received it by the 10th day of the month, you should alert your pension system. The pension system will provide you with an Affidavit Concerning Lost Check. Once you receive the Affidavit, complete it and return it to the pension system, you should expect to receive a replacement check in approximately two to three weeks; provided that the check was not cashed. In some instances a check may have been returned to the pension system due to incorrect address so make sure to confirm your address when contacting the pension system.
Alternatively, to avoid future late or lost checks, you may wish to participate in Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) which will wire your monthly pension allowance directly into your bank account each month. This is done by filling out an Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) authorization form. Each of the five retirement systems have their own EFT applications. It takes approximately 60 to 90 days for EFT to be activated. In the interim, you will still receive your checks via regular mail. Once you have EFT, you will receive quarterly statements.
Click here to receive an application, or obtain additional information.
NYCERS
Contact: (347) 643-3000 or (877) 669-2377
Website: www.nycers.org
Teachers Retirement System
Contact: (212) 612-5400 or (888) 869-2877
Website: www.trsnyc.org
Police Pension Fund
Contact: (212) 693-5100 or (866) 692-7733
Website: www.nyc.gov/nycppf
Board of Education Retirement System
Contact: (718) 935-5400 or (800) 843-5575
Website: www.nycbers.org
Fire Department Pension Fund
Contact: (718) 999-2327, 2328 or 2329
Website: www.fdny.org
- What is Medicare reimbursement
and how do I apply for it?
During the middle of August, Medicare premium reimbursements, currently at the rate of $99.90 per month per person, are available for those retirees who are enrolled in a City health plan as the contract holder and are also enrolled in and paying premiums for Medicare Medical Insurance Part B.
Active City employees and their dependents covered by Medicare have identical benefits to those provided to employees and their dependents under the age of 65. However, unless Medicare has been elected as primary coverage, the City does not reimburse employees or their dependents for their Medicare Part B premiums.
If you are eligible, you can apply for a Medicare reimbursement, by submitting your Medicare card to the Health Benefits Program of the NYC Office of Labor Relations (OLR), 40 Rector Street, Attn: Medicare Unit - 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10006-1705. Applications usually take between four to six months to process; checks are mailed to the same address as your pension check. For more information, please call the OLR at (212) 513-0470, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- My car hit a pothole. What
agency do I notify to get the street repaired?
The City Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for correcting all roadway and street deficiencies, such as potholes. To report such problems, contact DOT by writing to DOT Litigation Support, at the agency's headquarters, at 55 Water Street, New York, NY 10041, or call 311 or (212) 639-9675 if calling from outside New York City. To file a claim for damages to your vehicle, download the Automobile Property Damage Claim Form and fact sheets.
DOT is also the place to report a traffic light that isn't functioning properly. If you are aware of such a problem, call 311.
- I want to dispute my water bill.
What do I do?
Excessive water and sewer charges could be attributable to a variety of factors. Your meter could have been read incorrectly, the device itself could be faulty or there might be a leak somewhere in your property.
If you've got a question concerning your water bill, you can contact the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Its Bureau of Customer Services can be reached at (718) 595-7000. You can also obtain a Customer Dispute Form at www/nyc.gov/html/dep. If the problem is not resolved, call CAC at (212) 669-3916 or email action@comptroller.nyc.gov and we will look into the matter.
Once your concerns are addressed and you wish to pay a water bill, the DEP’s Phone Service Payment may be reached at (866) 622-8292
- What do I do if my landlord
isn't supplying me with heat and hot water?
The City Housing Maintenance Code and State Multiple Dwelling Law requires building owners to provide heat and hot water to all tenants. Building owners are required to provide hot water 365 days per year at a constant minimum temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Between October 1st and May 31st, the “Heat Season”, building owners are also required to provide tenants with heat under the following conditions:
- Between the hours of 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM, if the outside temperature is below 55 degrees, the inside temperature must be at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit; and
- Between the hours of 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM, if the outside temperature falls below 40 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you live in either a private home or an apartment house and your landlord isn't providing you with the proper amount of heat, you should call 311 or (212) 504-4155 – TTY, 24-hours a day, seven-days a week. Your complaint will be forwarded to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). For residents of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) facilities, contact NYCHA’s Customer Contact Center at (212) 289-8000 or (718) 707-7771.
Once you report your complaint, you will be issued a log or complaint number. It is vital that you keep this number handy, because your complaint has been automatically forwarded to the Code Enforcement offices of HPD for investigation and action.
If your landlord doesn't rectify the situation quickly, contact your borough Code Enforcement Office and make reference to your complaint number. In Manhattan call (212) 234-2541; Queens, (718) 286-0800; Brooklyn/Staten Island, (718) 802-3664; and the Bronx, (718) 579-6790; Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Compliance, (212) 863-8515.
If your complaint is about commercial building, or the exterior/structural integrity of any building, call 311.
If you live in a City-owned building not managed by NYCHA, call 311.
- Where do I get a certificate of
residence?
If you are a college student attending a two-year community college outside the five boroughs, you may require proof of residency to comply with the State Education law, which defines a resident as a person who has lived in the state for a period of at least one year and in the county, city, town, intermediate school district or school district for at least six months. If you require such proof, you must apply to the Office of the City Comptroller by submitting a notarized affidavit and two proofs of identification (one proof must be dated more than six months from the date of application and one within six months from date of application). Acceptable forms of identification include your voter registration card, copies of both your State and City tax returns and an envelope mailed to you, postmarked within the last six months which proves you reside at your current address.
To download a Certificate of Residence click here. For more information, please call (212) 669-2784, or visit Room 1329 of the Office of the Comptroller, One Centre Street, New York, New York 10007, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
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Where can lesbian and gay New
Yorkers find information about services and resources
especially for them?
Each year, the Comptroller's Office publishes a guide that provides a comprehensive listing of the wide range of organizations, agencies and programs serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. With more than 500 entries from the entire New York metropolitan area, the Comptroller's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Directory of Services and Resources is an important reference tool, especially since more groups are using the internet to make valuable contacts and access news and information. The latest edition contains email and World Wide Web addresses as well as locations, phone and fax numbers.
You can download a copy of the Comptroller’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender directory at http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/lgbt
Call (212) 669-3089 or
E-mail CAC for more details about this directory.
- How can I find out if I'm owed
any unclaimed funds?
Each year, the New York State Comptroller's Office processes thousands of requests from people who believe they are rightfully entitled to unclaimed monies that are being held by that agency. Banks, insurance companies, utilities, investment companies and many other businesses are required by State law to surrender inactive accounts to the State. The Office of the State Comptroller is currently holding approximately $12 billion unclaimed funds.
Inquiries are handled on a strict first-come, first-served basis by the Claimant Services Unit of the Comptroller's Office of Unclaimed Funds. New Yorkers can contact this department by calling (800) 221-9311; otherwise, all out-of-state residents should call (518) 474-4038. The State Comptroller can also be reached online at www.osc.state.ny.us
- I've fallen on hard times and
need financial assistance. What can the city do for
me?
The New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA)/ Department of Social Services (DSS) coordinates and supervises safety net programs operated in the City for many of New York's neediest people. Below is a partial listing of the services HRA offers to help you meet the challenges of day-to-day living:
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Provide public assistance, such as food stamps and other income support services through Aid to Dependent Children (ADC), Home Relief, Veterans Assistance and Emergency Assistance to Adults
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Determine Medicaid eligibility for City residents who don't receive Public Assistance or Supplemental Security Income
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Provide home care services through contracted vendor agencies
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Provide emergency support to families affected by large-scale disasters, such as fires
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Offer assistance with rent and heat arrears
- Offer medical support and services to victims of domestic violence and to people living with AIDS
To find out more about how HRA can help you become more self-sufficient, call (718) 557-1339. An automated attendant will guide you through an array of options so that you can choose which best suits your particular problem.
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- I've noticed a child in my neighborhood
with a lot of welts and bruises on his or her arms and
legs. What should I do?
If you even have the suspicion that a child is a victim of abuse, call the New York State Child Abuse & Maltreatment Registry's toll-free hotline number at (800) 342-3720 or (800) 635-1522.
- Where do I get assistance for someone
who has Alzheimer's disease or another long-term illness?
Your local Office of the Aging is a primary resource for obtaining help in the community. Specialists are available to help you one-on-one with a range of services that can ease the burden of care by counseling, educating, assisting and, when necessary, referring you to appropriate agencies and programs that will meet your needs. Contact Alzheimer's Caregiver Resource Center at the Department for the Aging at (212) 442-3086. Additional resources may also be available by contacting the Central Intake Unit of Adult Protective Service at (212) 630-1853 or 311 or the Alzheimer’s Association National Hotline at (800) 272-3900.
- How can I find information about
the HEAP Program?
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a New York State program that provides assistance to low-income families and senior citizens with their home energy costs, such as fuel, heating and electricity bills. There are three HEAP programs: Emergency Assistance, Regular Assistance and Heating Equipment Repair or Replacement. For additional information about the HEAP program contact (800) 692-0557
- Where can I get help setting up
my business?
The City of New York is committed to making it easy to do business in New York. The Department of Business Services offers free consultant services for new and existing businesses. The Department of Business Services offers programs that cover financing, energy-cost reductions, tax abatements, real estate relocation, employment assistance, business assistance, and international business assistance. It also provides information on commercial revitalization programs and zones in the City, and Business Improvement Districts. Contact the Department of Business Services at (212) NY-MAGIC or (212) 696-2442.
- How do I buy or lease City-owned
property?
For various reasons, the City has ended up owning property that it is dedicated to returning into private hands. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development provides a number of programs for selling City-owned homes and apartment houses to private citizens, The Department of Citywide Administrative Services owns non-residential property, which from time to time is available for sale or lease. For additional information contact:
Department of Housing Preservation and Development: www.nyc.gov/html/hpd
Economic Development Corporation: (212) 619-5000
Information on leasing: (212) 669-4019
Real Estate Auctions for Commercial Property: (212) 669-8888
- How do we get married in New York
City?
All persons who intend to get married in New York City must obtain a Marriage License. You can begin the application process online via "City Clerk Online". This will speed up the process which then must be completed in person at the Office of the City Clerk in any of the City’s five boroughs.
Regardless of whether you started the application process online, or will be filling out a paper form for a Marriage License, you and your prospective spouse must appear at the Office of the City Clerk in person, together and at the same time. To obtain complete information about how to get married in New York City, call the Office of the City Clerk at (212) 669-2400 or visit its website: http://www.cityclerk.nyc.gov/html/marriage/license.shtml.
- How does the Domestic Partnership
Program work?
The Domestic Partnership program allows a City workers to register his or her live-in partner as a certified domestic partner and receive an affidavit. NOTE: This is just the first step in applying for City benefits for your partner. You will need to present proof of a shared life, such as wills, shared bank accounts, joint lease, and so on to the person responsible for benefits at your agency. For more information contact the City Clerk's Office at 141 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013 or call (212) 669-2400, or the Office of Labor Relations at 40 Rector Street, New York, NY 10006 or (212) 306-7200.
- I am the complainant (victim) in
a pending criminal case and want to know if the defendant
is still in jail or has been bailed or otherwise released?
The City of New York has established a free 24-hour hotline that both provides custody status information about caller-specified inmates in Department of Correction jails and initiates automated notifications to registered callers about those inmates' release. Contact: 1-888-VINE4NY or 1-888-846-3469.
- It's too noisy! Where can I get
help?
Noise in New York City is handled by a number of different agencies. The Department of Environmental Protection is one of the first resources for complaints about many kinds of noise, including noise from:
- construction • nightclub • outside speakers • barking dogs
- private carters' trucks (Department of Sanitation trucks should be reported to the agency) • air conditioners • manufacturing devices
Your local precinct will handle:
- noisy neighbors • boom boxes • continuing car alarms • loud passersby • motorcycles without mufflers • noise outside bars and clubs
Ill-fitting gratings or manhole covers should be reported to DOT.
For noisy plates (the big removable ones), it could be one of a number of City departments, or Con Edison, National Grid, or the phone company - look for trucks nearby.
Department of Environmental Protection: 311
Department of Transportation Hotline: 311
Department of Sanitation Hotline: (212) 219-8090
Quality of Life Hotline: (212) NEW-YORK or 311
Con Edison: (800) 752-6633
National Grid (formerly known as Keyspan): (718) 643-4050
Empire City Subway Company: (212) 274-0740 or (800) 659-0526
- Where do I file a complaint about
a food business or medical establishment?
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Unsanitary conditions in groceries, bodegas, supermarkets: NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets: (718) 722-2876
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Unsanitary conditions in restaurants and mobile food vendors: NYC Department of Health: (212) 442-9666 or 311
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Unsanitary conditions or unprofessional conduct in doctors' offices: NYS Department of Health Office of Professional Medical
Conduct: (800) 663-6114 Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, or e-mail opmc@health.state.ny.us
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Unsanitary conditions or unprofessional conduct in hospitals: NYS Department of Health Hospital Complaint Unit: (800) 804-5447
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Unsanitary conditions or unprofessional conduct in nursing homes: NYS Department of Health Systems Management Long-Care Unit Hotline: (888) 697-7582
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Complaints about hospitals: (800) 804-5447
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