Resources & Support for Those Affected by COVID-19

 GENERAL COVID-19 INFORMATION:

• CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Protection Resources
• Frequently Asked Questions
• IRS.gov page on Coronavirus Tax Relief
• New York State Resources
  • COVID-19 restrictions are now lifted, as 70% of adults have received their first dose of the vaccine. New York State’s health guidance and industry specific guidelines are now optional across commercial and social settings.
  • Unvaccinated individuals are responsible for continuing to wear a mask, per federal CDC guidance.
  • The NYS Department of Health Coronavirus Information Line, 888-364-3065, is available 7 days a week, 9am-6pm, for questions or concerns about testing, vaccination, travel, and/or symptoms.
  • The Open Enrollment Period for uninsured New Yorkers has been extended through December 31st, 2021. New Yorkers can apply for coverage through NY State of Health or directly through insurers.
  • Health care workers can text NYFRONTLINE to 741-741 to access 24/7 emotional support services.
  • Any New Yorker can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling.
  • Nursing home staff with questions about twice weekly testing should send questions to nursinghometesting@health.ny.gov 
  
  
  • COVID Alert NY is a free smartphone app that provides timely updates about COVID-19 and alerts users when they have come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Knowing about a potential exposure allows users to self-quarantine immediately, get tested, and reduce the potential exposure risk to others.
    • COVID Alert NY is the official New York State Exposure Notification System. It is available for anyone 18 or older who lives or works in New York State.
    • The app is available for download in the Google Play Store and Apple Store.
    • The app is completely anomymous, does not track location or movement, does not use GPS, and will never collect, transmit, or store users' personal information.
  • American Red Cross Virtual Family Assistance Center
    • The American Red Cross is operating a Virtual Family Assistance Center to provide comfort and support, information and referrals for New York State families that have lost loved ones to the COVID-19 Coronavirus. The Virtual Family Assistance Center will link families to crisis counselors who will provide emotional and spiritual support, as well as information and referrals to help them navigate the challenges they may face as a result of their loved one’s death and meet their immediate needs; these may include assistance with moving their loved one’s body through systems that may be overwhelmed or procedurally different than during pre-COVID times; legal resources for estate, custody, immigration, and/or other issues related to the death of a family member; information on how to obtain travel services; and more.
    • Families and individuals who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 can call toll-free at 833-492-0094, email CondolenceCare@redcross.org, or fill out one of the online intake forms linked below, and a Family Assistance Center volunteer will contact them:
      • English: www.redcross.org/NYSCOVIDFamilySupport
      • Espanol: www.redcross.org/NYSCOVIDApoyoFamiliar
    • Intake forms can also be filled out by a friend of the person or family in need of help or by an agency working on behalf of a family in need of help.
    • The Family Assistance Center is expected to operate for as long as families will benefit from the service. All Family Assistance Center support will be provided virtually and is completely confidential.

ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENTS & TAX RELIEF:

• The most up-to-date information on tax relief, economic impact payments, and Child Tax Credits can be found at the official IRS page on Coronavirus Tax Relief. The IRS will post all key information here as soon as it becomes available.
• If you cannot find the information you need at IRS.gov/coronavirus and you need to speak with a representative about your stimulus check, you can call 800-919-9835. Expect significant hold time.
• Status available for third round of Economic Impact Payments: Find out when your third Economic Impact Payment is scheduled to be sent, or when and how it was sent, using the Get My Payment application. Get My Payment updates once a day, usually overnight.

FINANCIAL SERVICES:

• Consumer Credit Counseling is offering Free Financial Checkups by phone for anyone in need of some advice and guidance with their current financial situation. Call 716-712-2060 to schedule an appointment. A certified financial counselor will address financial concerns and provide community resources and relief options that may be available for consumers struggling with mortgage, student loan, auto loan, and credit card payments. In addition, a counselor can thoroughly review an individual’s or household’s income and expenses, and assist in creating an emergency budget. See www.consumercreditbuffalo.org for more information.

HEALTH INSURANCE:

• The Open Enrollment Period for uninsured New Yorkers has been extended through December 31st, 2021. New Yorkers can apply for coverage through NY State of Health, through a local health insurance navigator, or directly through insurers. NY State of Health can be contacted at 855-355-5777.

• You may be able to get more savings and lower costs on Marketplace health insurance coverage due to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Under the new law:

  • More people than ever before qualify for help paying for health coverage, even those who weren’t eligible in the past. Most people currently enrolled in a Marketplace plan may qualify for more tax credits.
  • Health insurance premiums after these new savings will go down.
  • When you apply for Marketplace coverage, you’ll find out if you qualify for a premium tax credit that lowers your monthly premium. The amount of your premium tax credit depends on the estimated household income for 2021 that you put on your Marketplace application. Find out if your estimated 2021 income is in the range to qualify for a premium tax credit by checking here.
  • Due to the COVID-19 emergency, there is currently a Special Enrollment Period through August 15th, 2021, during which you can enroll or change plans. More information available here.
  • If you have Marketplace coverage, including if you recently enrolled through the 2021 Special Enrollment Period:
    • Log in to update your application and enrollment. Your new eligibility results will show you the extra tax credit amount.
    • Update your plan selection with increased tax credits. If you qualify for more tax credit, reselect your current plan in order for the changes to take effect to lower your premiums for the rest of the year.

HOUSING:

• The New York State eviction moratorium has been extended through January 15th, 2022 - meaning that if you have experienced financial hardship or face significant health risk because of COVID-19, you cannot be evicted until January 15th. In order to receive protection, you must notify your landlord, the eviction court, or both. You can automatically send notice to your landlord and the court that you are eligible for protections by filling out and filing a declaration of hardship online through Eviction Free NY.
• The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) opened on June 1st, 2021. ERAP will provide rental assistance to pay back rent to low and moderate income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. More information available here.
  • Households eligible for rental arrears may also be eligible for help paying utility arrears at the same rental unit; utility arrears cannot be applied for without owing rental arrears.
  • Rental payments for either mobile homes (manufactured home) and/or the parcel of land the mobile home occupies are eligible for assistance.
  • Applications for ERAP are accepted online here.
  • If you need help completing the application, you can contact ERAP's call center Monday-Saturday between 8am-7pm at 1-844-NY1-RENT (1-844-691-7368).
  • Assistance with completing your application is also currently available from numerous agencies in WNY; to learn about which agencies are providing application assistance, call 211 or 888-696-9211, or see the search results entitled "ERAP Application Assistance" listed here and filter by location for your area.

MENTAL HEALTH:

• Any New Yorker can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling.
• Mental Health Advocates of WNY has provided a 10-step plan for mental wellness in these difficult times: Easing Anxiety in Anxious Times.

SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES:

• The Small Business Administration provides disaster assistance in the form of low interest long term loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private non-profit organizations that suffer or incur damages during a declared disaster. Disaster recovery loans are meant to enable the applicant to repair/rebuild to pre-disaster conditions and cover operating expenses for a short period. To inquire about eligibility for loans to homeowners, renters, business, and organizations affected by COVID-19, please contact the SBA disaster assistance customer service center. Call 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or e-mail disastercustomerservice@sba.gov
• As of May 31st, 2021, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is no longer accepting applications. Up to date information on the availability of COVID-19 Emergency Loans can be found here.

SOCIAL SECURITY:

• Social Security Offices are closed. Phone service and online services remain available. If you need help from Social Security visit www.socialsecurity.gov or call the national number 800-772-1213 which includes many automated services in addition to the option to speak to a representative.
• Social Secuirty field office locator
• FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

TRANSPORTATION:

• Most DMV transactions can be done online at: dmv.ny.gov/. The processing of some transactions and provision of some services may be delayed. 

UNEMPLOYMENT:

• All the most up-to-date information on getting unemployment assistance during the pandemic is available at the designated ny.gov page here.

UTILITIES:

• As of June 24th, 2021, the moratorium on all electric, gas, water, telephone, broadband, and cable shut-offs has ended. This allows utility companies to begin terminating service to customers behind on their bills.

• Under the Parker-Richardson Act of 2021, consumers in arrears are eligible for an additional 180-day “grace period” from service terminations, but only if they notify their utility and “self-certify” to a change in financial circumstance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The Public Utilities Law Project strongly recommends that any consumers behind on their utility bills contact their utilities as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary shut-offs. If the utility refuses to honor a request to self-certify, you can call the New York Department of Public Service’s complaint line at 1-800-342-3377 and request that they order the utility to honor the grace period and issue an affordable deferred payment agreement.

• The Neighborhood Legal Services Utility Disconnection Hotline provides free information, referrals, advice, and representation to persons who have received utility disconnect notices, whose utility has already been disconnected, who have been denied Emergency Utility Assistance or HEAP through ECDSS, or who have another utility related issue. 

  • If denied HEAP or Emergency Utility Assistance by ECDSS, get the denial in writing, then call 716-847-0650 immediately and ask for the Utility Disconnection Hotline or state that you have a utility problem. You will be prompted to leave a message and a staff member will call you back. The hotline is available Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.
• The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) helps low-income people pay the cost of heating their homes. If you are eligible, you may receive one regular HEAP benefit per program year and could also be eligible for emergency HEAP benefits if you are in danger of running out of fuel or having your utility service shut off.
  • Questions regarding the HEAP program should be directed to your HEAP Local District Contact.
  • HEAP may be able to help if you heat your home with electricity, natural gas, oil, coal, propane, wood, wood pellets, kerosene, or corn.
  • Contact information for HEAP programs in various counties of WNY is available here; just find the search result for HEAP in your county of residence. 

OTHER:

• Catholic Charities COVID-19 helpline provides access to all of Catholic Charities services across WNY: 716-218-1419
• Blood donations are urgently needed. If you are healthy consider donating; your health and safety will be protected. See any of the following for more information on how to donate blood: American Red Cross, ConnectLife, or Roswell Park.