COVID-19 Recovery Center

Excluded Workers Fund

The New York State Budget includes a $2.1 billion Excluded Workers Fund to provide support for jobless workers who were excluded from unemployment benefits, including undocumented adults and those with nontraditional jobs.

Amount

The Excluded Workers Fund has two tiers of benefits:

• TIER 1: Pays out up to $15,600 (minus an automatic tax deduction of $780) for applicants with a federal tax ID number or proof of loss of income due to the pandemic.

• TIER 2: Pays out up to $3,200 (minus an automatic tax deduction of $160) for applicants who do not have a federal tax ID number and cannot prove loss of income.

Eligibility

The following are the criteria to be eligible for the Excluded Workers Fund:

• RESIDENCY: You must be a current resident of New York and have lived here before March 27, 2020.
• LOSS OF INCOME: You must have lost part or all of your income after February 2020 because of COVID-19. This includes:
  • losing your job
  • losing hours
  • being unable to work because of COVID-19
  • head of household died or became disabled due to COVID-19
• TOTAL INCOME: You must have personally earned less than $26,208 in the past year.
• IMMIGRATION STATUS: The application will not ask about citizenship or immigration status.
• You must have been ineligible for other unemployment benefits or any federal COVID-related income relief.
• Recently incarcerated individuals are not eligible for this program.

Proof of Eligibility

There are three levels of proof to qualify for the Excluded Workers Fund and receive the full amount:

1. Proof of Identity
2. Proof of Residence
3. Proof of Work Eligibility

Proof of Identity

You will need to prove your identity in order to apply for the Excluded Workers Fund. You will need four points worth of identification from the following chart. The State Department of Labor may add more eligible documents over time. Documents cannot be expired.

Proof of Residence

You need to prove you currently live in New York and were living here before March 27, 2020. You can submit the same documents to establish your identity and residency. Any document that isn’t in English should also be accompanied by a certified English translation.

You can use any of the following documents to prove residence:

• New York State driver license
• New York State ID card
• IDNYC Card

If you do not have one of the above documents, you can use any two of the following documents. One dated before March 27, 2020 and a recent document demonstrating that you currently reside in the state.

• Utility bill
• Bank or credit card statement
• Lease, mortgage statement or property tax statement
• Letter addressed to the applicant from the New York City Housing Authority
• Letter from a homeless shelter indicating that the applicant currently lives there
• Letter from a nonprofit organization that provides homeless services

Proof of Work Eligibility

To qualify for Tier 1 (up to $15,600), applicants must prove work-related eligibility by submitting proof they filed tax returns for either the 2018, 2019, or 2020 tax years using a valid Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

If you don’t have a tax return, you can establish work-related eligibility with these documents:

• A letter from an employer stating the dates of employment and why you’re no longer employed
• At least six weeks of pay stubs or wage statements from a six-month period prior to the date you certify you became eligible for these benefits
• A W-2 or 1099 from the 2019 or 2020 tax year showing wages or income
• A Wage Theft Prevention Act notice given by the employer at the time of hiring showing the applicant was employed in the six months before becoming eligible for the benefits

If you do not have these documents, you may qualify for aid through Tier 2, which distributes up to $3,200. You will still need to prove your identity, New York residency, and potentially other requirements.

How to Apply

The Excluded Workers Fund is being administered through the New York State Department of Labor. Please check their website for additional information on the program, including how to apply.