As lawmakers, advocates and workers pressure the Legislature and Governor Hochul to allocate more money to the depleted Excluded Workers Fund, another concern emerges among organizations that assisted immigrants in the application process.
The New York Department of Labor, the agency that manages the fund, had already warned of scammers lurking. Now the Immigrant Center, a Staten Island day laborer organization, asks beneficiaries to exercise extreme caution when using state-issued prepaid cards.
The organization notes that it has received reports of fraud and cloned cards, and asks workers to verify ATMs before withdrawing money. It also urges not to reveal confidential information during transactions, such as the account PIN.
HOW DO I ENSURE THAT THE ATM I AM USING IS LEGITIMATE?
Some approved applicants from the New York Excluded Workers Fund report having confusion about how to access money on the prepaid card issued by the state Department of Labor once the application is approved.
The state explains that approved Excluded Workers Fund applicants will receive a one-time payment on a prepaid Visa® card mailed to the address provided on the form.
The Visa Prepaid Card is issued by MetaBank®, NA, a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), pursuant to a license from Visa USA Inc.
Excluded Workers Fund beneficiaries can use an authorized ATM that accepts Visa® debit card transactions.
The card is valid for up to 12 months, however the funds do not expire and may be available after the card expires, although fees may apply.
Visit https://www.visa.com/atmlocator/#(page:home) to locate the closest authorized ATM in your neighborhood.
Some beneficiaries report having gone directly to the banks to access the money, but were unable to complete the transaction. Therefore, it is recommended, according to the Department of Labor, is to go to an authorized ATM to withdraw the funds.
You can call the Department of Labor at 877-393-4697 for help in Spanish if you have questions.
Visit https://dol.ny.gov/cbolist?f%5B0%5D=filter_term%3A1136 to locate state-accredited organizations to offer advice on the Excluded Workers Fund.
Make sure you only go to authorized organizations, as the Department of Labor has received reports of scammers seeking to steal payments or access information to perpetrate identity theft.
WILL NEW YORK EXTEND THE AID?
Earlier this year, New York created the $ 2.1 billion Excluded Workers Fund to help undocumented immigrants excluded from federal aid. But the largest fund of its kind in the country was exhausted only a few months after the state began accepting applications following a flood of claims and a rapid distribution of aid.
The Department of Labor stopped accepting new applications from October 8, even those who submitted an application in the two weeks before that deadline may not be approved.
The fund, which awarded grants of up to $ 15,600, was one of the most contentious talking points during state budget negotiations and had faced some resistance from former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who raised concerns about the risk of fraud.
Now, growing demand from lawmakers, advocates and immigrant workers is putting enormous pressure on Governor Kathy Hochul to put more money into the depleted fund. The Democrat made spending the $ 2.1 billion her priority when she rose to the top job in the state after Cuomo’s resignation in August.
A group of 15 lawmakers, including Sen. Jessica Ramos, a Queens Democrat who sponsored the legislation that created the fund, sent a letter to Hochul this month to stress the urgency of extending the aid. But Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senate Majority Leader, as well as Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, have not expressed a position on the matter.
Republicans, who are a minority in the Legislature, have strongly rejected the idea of allocating more taxpayer money to revive the fund, as a group of activists urge Hochul to allocate $ 3 billion in the next budget and to put in extra money to cover claims that were filed before this year’s deadline.
Hochul instead claims his administration seeks “short-term” solutions, while suggesting that the discussion of additional money could resume early next year, when the State Legislature returns to session to approve the next budget.
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