February 22, 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 Updates
Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced a three-pronged plan to vaccinate homebound seniors and the essential frontline home care workers who care for them. Dependent on the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, NYC will develop a system to provide vaccines to thousands of homebound seniors in their own homes as soon as that vaccine is available. In the meantime, the City will set up vaccine clinics at DFTA retirement communities and HPD Senior Buildings, and prioritize vaccination of homecare workers serving the elderly population. Two on-site vaccination clinics for seniors launched during the week of February 15th, with additional locations to be identified and prioritized in the coming weeks:
Warbasse Cares Program
2844 Ocean Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11235
Morningside Retirement & Health Services
100 LaSalle Street
New York, NY 10027
To minimize the risk for homebound seniors throughout the month of February, the City will aim to vaccinate 25,000 home health aides over the next month, offering dedicated appointments in the areas where they live and work. A new vaccine site has opened in Brooklyn to prioritize appointments for home health aides in the Brownsville and East New York communities:
Teachers Prep High School
226 Bristol Street
Brooklyn, NY 11212
Home health aides and older New Yorkers who are able to travel can also visit vaccinefinder.nyc.gov or call 1-877-VAX-4NYC to schedule an appointment.
As of February 15, State eligibility criteria for the COVID-19 vaccine in New York includes individuals (16 and older) with certain underlying conditions and comorbidities that are known to cause increased risk from COVID-19. New Yorkers must provide a doctor's letter or medical information proving eligibility. More information can be found here.
Yankee Stadium and CitiField remain open as vaccine sites serving eligible residents of the Bronx and Queens, respectively. Individuals are required to bring proof of residency to their appointments.
A dedicated vaccine site for Staten Island residents-only opened on Friday, February 19 at the Empire Outlets. This site will be open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Retail Pharmacy Vaccine Sites
Seniors in New York City can now make appointments to get their COVID-19 shot at local pharmacies.
Follow each of the links listed above to learn more about how to book an appointment and what to bring with you to your appointment.
For access to the vaccine overall: Appointments are required at all locations in order to be vaccinated. Please visit the NYC COVID-19 Vaccine Finder at vaccinefinder.nyc.gov or call 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692) 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 Vaccine Finder site often.
Steps for making a vaccine appointment:
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Step 1: Determine your eligibility and schedule an appointment: Complete the Am I Eligible? App to check eligibility and find vaccination locations to schedule an appointment or call the New York City COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692).
- Step 2: Complete the Vaccine Form. After confirming an appointment, New Yorkers must complete the New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Form. This form can be completed online or at the vaccination site. (We encourage New Yorkers to complete the form ahead of time.)
- Step 3: Bring proof of eligibility to your vaccination appointment. Proof of eligibility is required at the vaccination site.
- People who are eligible based on their employment must attest that their job requires them to have in-person contact with members of the public or with co-workers, or that they are unable to work remotely.
- They must also have proof of employment in New York, such as an employee ID card, a letter from their employer or affiliated organization, or a recent pay stub (depending on your specific priority status).
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Those who are eligible for a vaccine based on age must show proof of age and New York residency, such as New York State driver’s license, IDNYC, passport, mail (residency), rent statement (residency) or birth certificate (age). See the proof of eligibility requirement for additional information.
New York State has established a hotline that New Yorkers can call to report suspected vaccine fraud or scams. To make a report, New Yorkers can call 1-833-VAX-SCAM (1-833-829-7226) or email STOPVAXFRAUD@health.nyc.gov.
Toolkits and Resources for Sharing Vaccine Information
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 here. Learn more about how New York City is here to help with testing and tracing in this Test and Trace FAQ or by visiting www.testandtrace.nyc.
The City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has created a social media toolkit with vaccine-related content in over ten languages. The toolkit is available here.
Accessible Vaccine Resources
DHS Vaccination Sites
DHS established its first vaccination site on January 18 and will continue to expand the number of sites once the supply of vaccines becomes available. Staff and residents of DHS shelters have the option of using the DHS site or the City’s Vaccination Hubs.
Vaccine Eligibility for HASA Clients
As of February 15, New Yorkers who are immunocompromised are eligible for the COVID vaccine under tier 1b, including individuals with HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) Advisory Board, as well as the HASA Work Group, was notified of the expanded vaccine eligibility. HASA case managers are also discussing this information with clients during telephonic wellness checks and assisting clients with vaccine appointment registration when necessary.
Free COVID-19 Testing Sites
Mobile sites are available at locations throughout the City on a weekly basis. Please be sure to check the mobile testing sites here.
Free testing continues to be available throughout the five boroughs. As a reminder, getting tested is safe, confidential, and free. All New Yorkers should get tested, even those who do not have symptoms or are unsure if they were exposed to COVID-19. 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. 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. 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.
DOE students and employees, and employees of DOE-contracted early childhood programs and the Learning Bridges Program can get priority COVID testing at 22 Health and Hospitals testing sites. These locations are walk-in only. More information can be found here.
“Pay It Off” – Child Support Debt Reduction
Our agency operates a child support program that is mandated by federal and state law. Child support is credited with lifting hundreds of thousands of families with children nationwide out of poverty every year. We have implemented a number of enhancements to help both custodial and noncustodial parents. One challenge for the program is debt that accrues when noncustodial parents do not pay their child support. This can happen for a myriad of reasons. One enhancement we are highlighting is called Pay It Off. This program is being offered from March 1 to 31, enabling noncustodial parents to reduce their child support debt owed to the New York City Department of Social Services (NYC DSS) twice as fast. During this time, noncustodial parents can get qualified payments matched dollar for dollar. Our Pay It Off program will match payments they make in March of at least $200 toward their NYC DSS child support debt – up to the amount they permanently owe NYC DSS. Payments must be over the amount of their monthly child support obligation. Noncustodial parents should sign and submit the Pay It Off agreement along with a copy of their photo I.D. by mail or email to the NYC DSS Office of Child Support Services. Learn more at nyc.gov/payitoff.
Medicaid – Transfer of Assets
As a result of the extension of the federal public health emergency, the State’s proposed 30-month transfer of assets look back for those applying for the Community Medicaid program - which provides long-term home and community-based services will not be implemented on April 1, 2021 as previously scheduled. The New York transfer of assets look back period of 60 months for nursing home Medicaid is still in effect.
Infoline and Third-Party Authorization
In order to provide case management support or advocacy, advocates and case workers are allowed to join HRA clients or applicants on phone calls with Infoline. HRA Infoline representatives are allowed to share information over the phone with both the client (or applicant) and the third party, if the client (or applicant) provides the representative with verbal consent to do so.
Clients may also complete a fillable PDF of our third-party authorization form that can be signed digitally / electronically using Adobe or other third-party software. The PDF form can be downloaded here. Completed third-party authorization forms can be emailed to constituentaffairs@hra.nyc.gov or faxed to 212-331-4685.
Once a third-party authorization form is on file, Infoline agents are able to reference these forms and can provide case updates to a third-party representative as authorized by a client.
Relief for Homeowners
The actions include:
- extending a moratorium on foreclosures through June 30;
- extending an enrollment window for mortgage payment forbearance requests until June 30; and
- providing up to six months of additional mortgage payment forbearance for borrowers who entered forbearance on or before June 30.
This is part of a concerted effort to reduce the burden on homeowners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the independent agency that oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, extended forbearance by three months for borrowers coming to the end of their forbearance period, and extended the moratoria on single-family foreclosures and real estate owned (REO) evictions until March 31, 2021. The current moratoria were set to expire on February 28, 2021.
Temporary Expansion of SNAP Eligibility for College Students
As we previously reported, the Federal Emergency Relief Act temporarily expands the SNAP student eligibility rules by amending the allowable exemptions to the rule in two additional ways:
- A student is eligible if they are eligible to participate in state or federal work-study, regardless of whether 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.
Beginning on January 16, 2021, students meeting the expanded criteria above are eligible to receive SNAP benefits. Students must provide verification that they meet one of these new criteria.
These amended federal 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 these amended federal qualifications will maintain student eligibility until the next recertification regardless of whether the emergency declaration is lifted at any time during the certification period.
HRA has shared this information with advocates, community providers, and elected officials in our weekly communications and on our weekly call. We have also posted information on our COVID-19 updates page on our website and on the ACCESS HRA homepage.
Information and guidance on the expansion of student eligibility has been included in mandatory training for all SNAP and CA staff. HRA has also issued a Policy Bulletin informing all staff on these changes.
This is a temporary further expansion of the student eligibility criteria for all students regardless of the program or school they are enrolled in. However, as we reported in November, student eligibility was also extended for CUNY students participating in career or technical programs. CUNY students are receiving their Student Verification of Enrollment forms directly through their student account. CUNY is reviewing current enrollment status for all students. Those students who satisfy all of the SNAP requirements for a career and technical education exception will receive the Verification form in their student account. The Student Verification of Enrollment form must be submitted as supporting documentation with a SNAP application.
Federal Stimulus Recovery Rebate Credit
Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, eligible individuals and their families will receive a second round of Economic Impact Payments (EIP or stimulus payments).
Individuals and families will receive an automatic second payment if they:
- Meet the income eligibility and filed a 2019 tax return or registered for the first-round payment using the IRS Non-Filer Tool
- Receive one or more of the federal benefits below and are not required to file a tax return:
- Veterans Affairs (VA) Compensation & Pension benefits
- Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits (includes retirement and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI))
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits
- Survivors benefits (VA, SSA, RRB)
Individuals can use the IRS Get My Payment Tool to track the status of a payment at irs.gov/getmypayment.
Individuals who did not receive a first or second stimulus payment and think they may be eligible, or did not receive the full payment amount, are able to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit when filing a 2020 federal tax return.
All income received through FPUC and/or Economic Income Payments is excluded as income and disregarded as a resource in eligibility determinations for Medicaid, SNAP, Cash Assistance and HEAP benefits. In addition, any lump sum received under FPUC, if received retroactively, is excluded as income and therefore not subject to the lump sum provisions for these benefits.
Eligibility for the stimulus payment under the COVID-19 Federal Relief Bill is based on 2019 taxes, but if someone would qualify in 2020 and not in 2019, they can file a form to qualify for a Recovery Rebate Credit on their taxes. If someone did not file taxes in 2018 or 2019, they can file for a Recovery Rebate Credit and/or use the IRS Non-filer portal.
Individuals and families will NOT receive an automatic second round payment if they did not file a 2019 tax return or register for the first-round payment using the IRS Non-Filer Tool. For those who are required to file a return or plan to file a return because they expect to owe tax or expect a refund, and did not file a 2019 tax return, they should file a 2020 tax return by April 15, 2021 to receive a stimulus payment.
Individuals and families who do not usually file taxes because they are not required to do so, and do not receive SSA, RRB, SSI, or VA Compensation and Pension benefits should file a 2020 tax return by April 15, 2020 and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit.
The City is providing assistance in order to ensure all New Yorkers are able to receive their stimulus payments. If clients need help filling out the non-tax filer form, NYC Free Tax Prep can help. For those who have filed and need help navigating other IRS tools related to the Economic Impact Payment (EIP), they can speak with a financial counselor who can help them. Both programs offer services in multiple languages. More information about these resources can be found on the DCA website for Economic Impact Payments, or the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection’s (DCWP) COVID page.
Middle Schools Re-opening
New York City middle school buildings will reopen for in-person learning beginning on Thursday, February 25. Schools will contact each household with information about each student’s specific in-person schedule. High school students will continue to learn remotely until further notice.
Food Resources for New Yorkers
New York City is taking steps to make sure every New Yorker has access to the food they need. For individuals who are in need of support with meals and food, the following links lead to numerous resources that we want to be sure you are aware of:
City Harvest Mobile Markets
City Harvest Mobile Markets provide free fresh produce throughout the five boroughs. Each Mobile Market has its own dates of operation, and from January 2021 through March 2021. Mobile Markets will be open from 11 am to 1 pm. Each site may have its own eligibility criteria to receive free food, and a list of Mobile Markets by borough is available here.
Pending State Legislation
The agency is working with State legislators to pass new legislation on two important issues impacting recipients of Cash Assistance:
Telephone interviews for Cash Assistance (S3223A/A5414) — the proposed legislation, introduced by Social Services Committee Chairs Senator Roxanne Persaud and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, seeks to make permanent the current emergency waiver allowing Cash Assistance interviews for new applications and recertifications to be conducted by telephone. This waiver has been critical in our ability to provide service to clients during the pandemic. We are hopeful that the passage of this bill will support our ongoing efforts to provide flexibility to clients in the benefits application process by allowing clients the option to complete applications for Cash Assistance without having to come in to an HRA center, in the same way we have been successfully serving SNAP clients with telephone interviews for several years.
The Home Stability Support rent supplemental program (S856) – this bill introduced by Senator Krueger, and supported by Senator Persaud and Assemblymember L. Rosenthal, provides for a statewide rent supplement for families and individuals who are facing eviction, homelessness or loss of housing due to domestic violence or hazardous living conditions. The program seeks to provide support to families and individuals to keep them in their homes and out of homeless shelters by providing sufficient rental and, in some cases, heating assistance.
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
