Apply now for the Excluded Workers Fund
Applications are open. We have more information on the Fund and how to apply.
How it works
The Excluded Workers Fund (EWF) is a benefit for people who lost income due to COVID-19. It's for people who aren’t eligible for Unemployment Insurance due to immigration status. The application doesn’t ask any questions about your citizenship or immigration status.
New Yorkers who lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for one of two tiers of benefits:
Tier 1 provides up to $15,600 in benefits (minus taxes)
Tier 2 provides up to $3,200 in benefits (minus taxes)
The tier of benefits you get depends on the documents you submit with your application.
Learn more about the Excluded Workers Fund on ACCESS NYC.
Determine your eligibility
You may be eligible if you can answer yes to these questions:
Do you currently live in New York State and have you lived here before March 27, 2020?
Did you lose 50% or more of your weekly work income or total household income at any time between February 23, 2020 and April 2, 2021? This is due to reasons like:
losing your job
losing hours at your job
being unable to work because of illness from the virus
becoming responsible for most of your household’s income due to the death or disability of the head of your household
Are you not eligible for Unemployment Insurance (UI) due to your immigration status?
Did you earn less than $26,208 in the 12 months before April 2021?
Documents that you’ll need
You’ll need to provide 3 types of documents:
Proof of work
Proof of who you are
Proof of where you live
Your eligibility for either Tier 1 or Tier 2 benefits is based on the documents you can provide. Check the FAQ (available in 13 languages) for a list of documents you’ll need.
How to apply
Apply on the NYS Department of Labor website.
You can also contact a community based organization to get help applying.
Applications are open. We have more information on the Fund and how to apply.
How it works
The Excluded Workers Fund (EWF) is a benefit for people who lost income due to COVID-19. It's for people who aren’t eligible for Unemployment Insurance due to immigration status. The application doesn’t ask any questions about your citizenship or immigration status.
New Yorkers who lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for one of two tiers of benefits:
Tier 1 provides up to $15,600 in benefits (minus taxes)
Tier 2 provides up to $3,200 in benefits (minus taxes)
The tier of benefits you get depends on the documents you submit with your application.
Learn more about the Excluded Workers Fund on ACCESS NYC.
Determine your eligibility
You may be eligible if you can answer yes to these questions:
Do you currently live in New York State and have you lived here before March 27, 2020?
Did you lose 50% or more of your weekly work income or total household income at any time between February 23, 2020 and April 2, 2021? This is due to reasons like:
losing your job
losing hours at your job
being unable to work because of illness from the virus
becoming responsible for most of your household’s income due to the death or disability of the head of your household
Are you not eligible for Unemployment Insurance (UI) due to your immigration status?
Did you earn less than $26,208 in the 12 months before April 2021?
Documents that you’ll need
You’ll need to provide 3 types of documents:
Proof of work
Proof of who you are
Proof of where you live
Your eligibility for either Tier 1 or Tier 2 benefits is based on the documents you can provide. Check the FAQ (available in 13 languages) for a list of documents you’ll need.
How to apply
Apply on the NYS Department of Labor website.
You can also contact a community based organization to get help applying.
