Financial Help
If you have emergency financial needs or questions, please call the Caz COVID Response Team at 315-655-9063 or email us at cazcovidresponse@gmail.com
Stay home if you are sick or caring for someone who is sick. Your employer does not want you to go to work and infect the rest of their workforce. Both state and federal laws have been put in place to guarantee paid sick leave due to the coronavirus. Other circumstances apply also. Visit this site to learn more: https://ag.ny.gov/coronavirus#obligation
Beware of scams! Before giving out your financial details to anyone, check first with a trusted source or go to FEMA's Coronavirus Rumor Control website.
Help with Household Expenses
For information on free food, visit our Food & Nutrition wepage.
The Mustard Seed is an organization run by St. James Church which provides monetary assistance for certain household expenses. You do not have to be a member of the church to use their services.
Mid York United Way has several programs that offer temporary assistance with rent, utilities, and clothing.
National Grid has options for suspending service disconnections They suggest you contact them to discuss your situation.
Recent bills passed in New York State provide the following:
Waived fees from NYS mortgage lenders for 90-days (until 6/18/2020). Will not affect your credit report. No foreclosures or evictions until further notice. Freddie Mae and Freddie Mac are also suspending evictions and foreclosures. You MUST call your mortgage lender to request assistance.
For a 90-day period, New Yorkers experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 may defer paying life insurance premiums. Late payments will be payable over a one-year period. Additionally, consumers and small businesses experiencing Coronavirus-related financial hardship may defer paying premiums for property and casualty insurance for a 60-day period. This includes auto, homeowners, renters and other kinds of insurance. (No late fees will be assessed and there will be no negative impact to your credit.)
New Yorkers without health insurance can apply for a health plan through NY State of Health has opened a Special Enrollment Period for health insurance through June 15 for uninsured individuals in light of the COVID-19 public health emergency. If you recently lost employer coverage, you must apply within 60 days of losing that coverage. Because of loss of income, New Yorkers may also be eligible for Medicaid, the Essential Plan or Child Health Plus.
Student loan borrowers experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 can obtain relief for loans not covered by the CARES Act. Available relief includes 90 days of deferred monthly payments, waived late fees, no negative reporting to credit agencies and enrolling eligible borrowers in available long-term assistance programs. New York student loan borrowers should visit the Dept. of Financial Services' website for more information about available student loan relief.
This blog from reviews.com contains information and tips on how to reduce your internet bill. (Note, there is a local SCAM circulating in email touting 2 months of free internet from Windstream. This is not a legitimate program. DO NOT respond to the email or call the provided number.)
Help for Businesses
The Governor's office has released a detailed plan for re-opening businesses.
Details about the CARES Act, passed into law in March, for business owners can be found here.
Local non-profits can apply for grants from the Affiliate Fund.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued Disaster Declarations to all New York counties and opened an online application portal for small businesses to apply for its Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Upstate New York businesses can apply for low-interest, emergency loan assistance through the SBA. More details. here. Applicants are encouraged to apply online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela or call the SBA at 1-800-659-2955.
Help from NY State
New York State’s tax filing deadline has been moved to July 15, 2020.
NYS is waiving the 7-Day waiting period for Unemployment Insurance benefits for people who are out of work due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) closures or quarantines. Applicants can file online. The day to file is based on the first letter of the applicants last name. For more information click here.
Guaranteed job protection and pay for New Yorkers who have been quarantined
New Yorkers without health insurance can apply for a health plan through NY State of Health has opened a Special Enrollment Period for health insurance through June 15 for uninsured individuals in light of the COVID-19 public health emergency. If you recently lost employer coverage, you must apply within 60 days of losing that coverage. Because of loss of income, New Yorkers may also be eligible for Medicaid, the Essential Plan or Child Health Plus.
NY has free COVID-19 testing when ordered by a healthcare provider.
Help from the Federal Government
The Federal Government's tax filing deadline has been moved to July 15, 2020.
The federal government has published several fact sheets about paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave under the Families First Coronnavirus Response Act. They provided a Fact Sheet for Employees, a Fact Sheet for Employers, and a Questions and Answers document.
The federal government has provided states with new resources and flexibility to grant unemployment benefits to workers laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment claims are now being expedited. Please visit the Department of Labor’s website. If you have questions about this process or need further assistance, click here to find the contact information for your local state representative.
Congressman Anthony Brindisi (NY-22) has offered to help anyone with trying to receive help or answers to questions from federal agencies. You can call his office at (315) 732-0713.