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STATE EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE
Q: I am unable to report to work because of the WTC disaster. Am I eligible for unemployment benefits?
You may be eligible for either unemployment insurance benefits or disaster unemployment assistance.
What are unemployment insurance benefits?
If you are unable to report to work because of the WTC disaster, you may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. Unemployment insurance is temporary income for workers who are unable to work through no fault of their own. In order to be eligible, you must be ready, willing and able to work, in addition to meeting other criteria. The NY State Department of Labor determines according to its formula which workers are eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits and how much such workers are eligible to receive on a weekly basis.
How can I apply for unemployment insurance benefits?
The NY State Department of Labor is encouraging all individuals who are unable to report to work to apply by calling the NY State Department of Labor Telephone Claims Center at (888) 209-8124, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
To apply for unemployment insurance, you should have:
- your Social Security number;
- the names and addresses of all of your employers within the last 18 months;
- your New York State driver's license or Motor Vehicle ID card number if you have one;
- your mailing address and zip code;
- a telephone number where you can be contacted for additional information;
- if you are not a U.S. citizen, your alien registration card number;
- if you have been a federal employee within the last 18 months, copies of your separation forms (SF 8 and SF 50); and
- if you are a former service member, a copy of your most recent separation form DD214.
What is Disaster Unemployment Assistance?
If you are not eligible for unemployment insurance benefits (described above), you may be able to receive special relief made available by the U.S. Department of Labor through the NY State Department of Labor. The Disaster Unemployment Assistance program may provide help to workers whose jobs have been lost or interrupted, including self-employed persons who are unable to continue working, because of the WTC disaster. Recipients will receive a weekly payment by check in an amount to be determined by the NY Department of State. The maximum weekly benefit is $405. For more information visit the Department of Labor website at www.laborstate.ny.us or the National Employment Law Project online at www.nelp.org/dua.htm.
Am I eligible to receive Disaster Unemployment Assistance?
If you are a worker or "self-employed" individual, who became unemployed as a direct result of the WTC disaster, you may be eligible to receive Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits if you:
- were determined to be ineligible for unemployment insurance benefits (described above);
- meet the ready and able to work requirements of the unemployment insurance program;
- lost your job, or if you are self-employed, can no longer perform the regular services you performed in self-employment;
- are unable to reach your place of work, or the place where self-employment services were performed;
- were scheduled to begin a new job, which will not now begin or which you are unable to reach;
- cannot work because of a disaster-incurred injury; or
- became the "head of your household" because of a death resulting from the WTC disaster.
In addition, in order to receive assistance, your job or home must be located in New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens or Richmond counties.
For how long can I receive Disaster Unemployment Assistance?
The period during which assistance may be available begins on September 17, 2001 and ends March 17, 2002. You may receive Disaster Unemployment Assistance for as long as you remained unemployed during this period, but you must have filed your application by March 16, 2002.
How do I make a claim for Disaster Unemployment Assistance?
You may apply by calling the NY State Department of Labor Telephone Claims Center at (888) 209-8124, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
I have lost my job because of the WTC disaster and am looking for new employment opportunities. Who can I call for guidance?
The State and City of New York have created the Twin Towers Job Center to provide assistance to those seeking either permanent or temporary work as a result of the WTC disaster. For more information on how the Twin Towers Job Center can help you, call the newly established hotline at (718) 557-1332, weekdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also visit the website at www.TwinTowersJobs.org, or visit one of the Center's branches at 68-46 91st Avenue in Jamaica, Queens or 180 Water Street in Manhattan.
Additional assistance may be available through the New York Department
of Labor employment centers at (212) 621-9300 or the Emergency Employment
Clearinghouse Program, which is a labor-business partnership between the
Consortium for Worker Education, the NYC Partnership and the NY City Central
Labor Council at (212) 558-2261.
