Please note!

This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Is New York State considering a new relief program for people ineligible for federal programs?

Saturday, April 3, 2021

By Lisa Freedland

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YES

A bill introduced before New York State’s senate would provide financial assistance to people who have been excluded from federal coronavirus relief programs, including people who are living in the country illegally as well as the formerly incarcerated.

To be eligible for the fund, someone must have been excluded from state unemployment aid and various federal relief payments, and have lost income in the wake of the pandemic, or have been released from prison or detention since October 2020. Those eligible for the New York fund would receive $3,300 per month through the end of 2021.

Some proponents worry Gov. Andrew Cuomo will tighten documentation requirements, asking for bank statements, tax identification numbers or pay stubs that some applicants might not have.

The New York proposal is relatively generous; a similar California program is offering one-time $600 payments in 2021.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

New York State Senate S4543: Establishes an excluded workers’ fund

City & State New York Advocates worry about barriers to excluded workers fund

Politico New York lawmakers want to give billions of dollars to undocumented, former inmates

Legal Aid at Work A list of relief funds for undocumented workers in California

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.