Special edition with information on COVID-19
Look
inside for:
■ How to apply for
unemployment
insurance
■ Information on New
York’s paid family
leave policy
■ How to apply for
COVID-19 sick leave
■ Information on
the state’s new
Find Services web
application
■ How to apply for a
New York Forward
Loan
■ Financial Assistance
for Small Businesses
Affected by
COVID-19
■ Grants to
support nurses
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY Speaker Carl E. Heastie
NEWS
GRANTS
ACTION
Nov. 2020
Vol. 34, Issue 10
Questions?
Contact:
Grants Action News
New York State Assembly
Alfred E. Smith Building
80 S. Swan St.
Suite 1710
Albany, NY 12248
grants@nyassembly.gov
On the state level…
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has affected employees and
businesses in every industry, leading to layoffs or extended time off as state
officials enact measures to slow the spread. Quarantine and voluntary isolation
are some of the most effective ways to help contain the virus. However, this means
extended time off from work, as well as decreased revenue for many businesses.
Look inside to find out how to apply for benefit and assistance programs available
to New Yorkers and grant opportunities for businesses to help offset financial
hardship.
New York State Unemployment
Insurance COVID-19 adjustments
New York State has waived the waiting period for unemployment insurance (UI)
benefits for people out of work due to COVID-19. Additionally, the federal CARES
Act provides Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)
and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) for New Yorkers who may not
otherwise be eligible. Enhanced UI benefits through PEUC and PUA are set to
expire on December 26, 2020.
Please note that the federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation expired as of
July 31, 2020.
Workers who are filing for UI benefits can call 1-888-209-8124 or visit
labor.ny.gov/unemploymentassistance.shtm.
As part of applying for benefits, you may receive a follow-up call from the
Department of Labor. As many DOL employees are working from home during this
time, your caller ID may show “private caller.” Any DOL employee will verify their
identity by providing the date you filed your application and the type of claim.
• File your claim the week that you lose your job. Any claim will be backdated to the
date you became unemployed.
• The best hours to apply online for UI benefits are between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• You can apply by telephone Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Make sure to certify weekly to continue receiving your benefits by logging into your
account here: https://applications.labor.ny.gov/IndividualReg.
The waiting period for unemployment benefits has been waived during the
pandemic. If you see the term “waiting week” on your payment history, this does
not impact your benefits.
Information is up-to-date as of the publication date, November 18, 2020, and subject to change.
State-owed debt collection suspension
To help relieve financial hardship, the New York Office of the Attorney General has temporarily
halted state-referred student and medical debt collection through Dec. 31, 2020. After this date,
the Attorney General’s Office will reassess the needs of New Yorkers. This measure automatically
suspends accrual of interest and collection of fees without penalty. For more information or to apply,
go to https://ag.ny.gov/coronavirus#debt.
Those with non-medical and non-student debt owed to the state that has been referred to the Office
of Attorney General may also apply for a temporary relief. For more information or to apply, go to
https://ag.ny.gov/covid-19-debt-suspension-application or call the Office of the Attorney General
Hotline at 800-771-7755.
NYS Paid Family Leave (PFL)
New York’s Paid Family Leave provides eligible employees with paid time off to care for a family
member with a serious health condition, bond with a newborn or assist loved ones when a military
family member is deployed abroad. The policy also provides job protection, continued health
insurance and protection from discrimination or retaliation. PFL can be used to care for a loved one
with COVID-19, which may qualify as a serious health condition.
To learn more about PFL benefits, visit paidfamilyleave.ny.gov or call the Paid Family Leave hotline
at 844-337-6303.
Paid Leave for COVID-19
New York has guaranteed workers job protection and financial compensation if they or their minor
dependent child are subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine due to COVID-19.
Many employees will get financial compensation using a combination of benefits, such as new
employer-provided paid sick leave, New York State Paid Family Leave and disability benefits.
Note: These benefits are not available to employees who are able to work through remote access or
other means or to New Yorkers who take non-work trips to any state other than a contiguous state
for more than 24 hours.
Some employers are required to provide job-protected paid sick leave to employees who need to
take leave because they are under a mandatory or precautionary quarantine due to COVID-19. The
amount of paid sick leave depends on your employer’s size and annual income.
• Small businesses with 10 or fewer employees as of Jan. 1, 2020, and made less than $1 million
in net annual income in 2019 are not required to provide new paid sick leave days. Employees can
use a combination of PFL and disability benefits.
• Medium-sized businesses with 11 to 99 employees as of Jan. 1, 2020, and smaller employers
who made a net annual income of more than $1 million are required to provide 5 days of paid sick
leave. After this, you can used a combination of PFL and disability benefits.
• Large businesses with more than 100 employees are required to provide 14 days of paid sick
leave, which should cover the period of mandatory or precautionary isolation due to COVID-19.
This also applies to public employees.
To learn more about paid leave for COVID-19, as well as COVID-related paid sick leave, visit
paidfamilyleave.ny.gov/covid19 or call the Paid Family Leave hotline at 844-337-6303.
New York Forward Loan Fund
The New York Forward Loan Fund (NYFLF), administered through Empire State Development, is an
economic recovery loan program for New York small businesses, nonprofits and small landlords as
they reopen after the COVID-19 outbreak. The fund is to help businesses and nonprofits that have
faced economic hardship due to COVID-19 as they reopen and face upfront expenses to comply
with safety guidelines.
Small businesses must have 20 or fewer full-time equivalent employees and have a gross revenue
of less than $3 million per year. In addition, businesses must not have received funding through the
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program for more than $50,000 or
an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for COVID-19 of any amount other than a $10,000 EIDL
advance loan.
Businesses can apply for a loan or find more information here: nyloanfund.com.
Find Services Web Application
In partnership with Google, New York State has launched a Find Services web application to help
connect residents with potential benefits. It can be difficult for New Yorkers unfamiliar with the
state’s assistance programs to determine their eligibility for a wide range of support services. The
open-sourced application prompts users to complete a series of questions and provides a ranked
list of potential programs, including information on how to apply.
To learn more or use the Find Services web application, visit: findservices.ny.gov/app/survey.
On the federal level…
Financial Assistance for Small Businesses
Affected by COVID-19
The closure of nonessential businesses has left countless small-business owners and their
employees without a reliable source of income. The federal CARES Act provides access to
programs administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) that can help support
New Yorkers during this difficult time.
• The Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program provides small businesses, including
agricultural businesses and nonprofit organizations, with up to six months of working
capital in loans to compensate for revenue lost due to COVID-19.
www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/economic-injury-disaster-loans
• The Small Business Debt Relief Program covers monthly principal and interest
payments for qualifying, existing loans for 6 months.
www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/sba-debt-relief
• The Express Bridge Loan Pilot Program enables small businesses who have an existing
business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to receive up to $25,000 with less paperwork.
These loans can be used by businesses who are in the process of applying for other support
through the SBA. www.sba.gov/document/support--express-bridge-loan-pilot-program-guide
Small business help from New York City
NYC Business Solutions Centers can help small businesses apply for SBA loans, as well
as other loans and financial assistance. www1.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/article/financing-assistance
On the private level…
Nurses House Inc. Grant Program
Nurses House Inc., an organization that offers assistance to nurses in need, provides short-term
grants to nurses who are unable to work due to illness, injury, disability or other dire circumstance.
Nurses can apply for help with housing expenses, such as rent or mortgage payments, or
assistance with medical expenses, property taxes or utilities.
■ Eligibility: Registered professional nurses
Contact: Phone: 518-456-7858
Website: pages.nurseshouse.org/apply-for-help
