RESOURCES and SUPPORT for those affected by COVID-19

 

Our commitment to the well-being of our customers and our local communities remains as strong as ever

In response to current COVID-19 guidance to limit gathering opportunities and based on the Governor’s mandate to reduce office staffing by up to 100%, our One Stop Career Center is temporarily closed to the public. Staff will be working on a limited rotating schedule.

 

We will continue to update the resources and information below with the latest we have available.

 

Stay well Niagara - we are in this together!

 

 

Resources to assist affected Businesses can be found HERE

 

 

Governor's Coronavirus shutdowns and NYS Health Department information

 

CDC Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) site

 

The White House's "15 Days to Slow the Spread"

 

 

Important Information for Unemployment Insurance Claimants:   (as of 3/26/20)

 

Due to enormous volume our systems are slow but we are serving each and every New Yorker. Please be patient.

 

Department of Labor's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

All in-person appointments at all Career Centers in New York State have been canceled until further notice. Unemployment Insurance benefits will NOT be impacted and customers should continue to file for weekly benefits as normal.

 

If you have had your work hours lessened, you are encouraged to apply.  Business Owners can also apply.

 

NYS is waiving the 7-Day waiting period for Unemployment Insurance benefits for people who are out of work due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) closures or quarantines.

 

If you are filing a new unemployment insurance claim, the day you should file is based on the first letter of your last name.

If your last name starts with A - F, file your claim on Monday.

For last names starting with G - N, file your claim Tuesday.

For last names starting with O - Z, file your claim on Wednesday.

If you missed your filing day, file your claim on Thursday or Friday.

Filing later in the week will not delay your payments or affect the date of your claim, since all claims are effective on the Monday of the week in which they are filed.

Here is a step by step process to file a claim online.

 

Or you can file by phone at 1-888-209-8124
NYS Department of Labor is extending telephone filing hours as follows:
Monday through Thursday, 8 am to 7:30 pm.
Friday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Saturday, 7:30 am to 8:00 pm.

 

NYS Department of Labor is experiencing an unprecedented increase in the volume of calls and web traffic for Unemployment Insurance claims. This massive surge created intermittent interruptions in service. Their team is continuing to fix the problem as we monitor the situation around the clock.

Please be patient - both the website and the phone lines are experiencing very high volume, with phone line wait times up to an hour or longer.  There have been some glitches but the IT team and phone line team are working to resolve them. 

DOL is adding staff and will be expanding hours to help address the rapid influx. Dedicated staff are working as hard as they can to ensure that all benefits are paid and they will continue to do so. DOL appreciates the public’s patience.

 

If you are having trouble with an NY.Gov account: 

I need to re-set my password or unlock my account

I received an Error message saying my e-mail address is already in use

FAQs

To speak with a representative regarding an NY.Gov account, please call 1-800-833-3000 Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST 

Or you can use the E-mail Contact Form

 

Extended Benefits:   (as of 3/24/20)

The federal government enacted the Familes First Coronavirus Response Act, which includes extended unemployment benefits. New York has not qualified for these extended benefits at this time, but we will continue to monitor the situation and leverage all federal resources to help New Yorkers survive the economic hardships associated with the novel coronavirus.

If New York State DOES qualify for the extended benefits, New Yorkers do NOT need to do anything new. We will post additional information here as it becomes available. Please do NOT call our unemployment hotline with questions about extended benefits -- this helps us keep our phone lines available for your fellow New Yorkers who need to file new claims. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

 

Additional Resources and Information   A-Z

 

- 211 has a variety of very helpful information and updates related to services impacted by Coronavirus

 

- Childcare Resource for Essential Workers. The Community Child Care Clearinghouse of Niagara can assist families of essential workers that are in need of childcare assistance. Call the Clearinghouse Hotline at (716) 285-8572 x109 or x105 for help finding childcare in your area.

 

- Feed More WNY - Meals on Wheels and  Food Bank of WNY (716) 852-1305

 

- Food Pantry Map for the City of Niagara Falls *You are encouraged to call before going to be sure they are open*

           - Lockport Food Pantries: Call for times

              NIACAP - 80 Washburn St., Lockport, NY 14094.........433-6632

              The Salvation Army Worship -50 Cottage St. ..............434-1276

              Grace Episcopal Church - 100 Genesee St. ..................433-2878

           - North Tonanwanda Food Pantry:  100 Ridge Road, North Tonawanda, NY 14120   Monday - Friday  10am - 12:30pm

           - Ransomville / Sanborn / Youngstown / Lewiston:  Care and Share Food Pantry, 3628 Ransomville Rd. Ransomville, NY 14131. 

Tuesday 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm / Thursday 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm / Saturday 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

*On Saturday March 28^th we will host the Mobile Food truck from 11:30am – 1:00pm*

 

- Healthy NY - New York State of Health special enrollment period

 

- Internet - FREE internet for students provided by Charter Spectrum

Households with students K–12 or university students can sign up for a new Charter Spectrum internet account to get the first two months of internet with speeds up to 100 Mbps for free. Installation fees will be waived for those who qualify for the offer. Call 1-844-488-8395 to enroll.

Spectrum Wi-Fi hotspots are also currently open and free to use.

 

>>>> JOBS!!!   Check here for who's hiring now! <<<<

 

 

- Paid Sick Leave

         Guidance for Employees

 

- Private College Tuition Assistance  - Students attending five area private colleges (Hilbert, Canisius, Daemen, Houghton and St. Bonaventure) are eligible for assistance of up to $250 in COVID-19 emergency relief funds from the SAGE scholars, who have pledged $100,000 to aid students attending any of its more than 400 colleges and universities. Students who want to apply should contact their school's financial aid office.

- Tax Day - Both the Federal and NYS tax filing deadlines have been extended to July 15th, 2020

 

 

Home with the kids?  Here are some activity ideas!

 

- Niagara County Sheriff's Department Reading to WNY kids on YouTube or Facebook

 

- Playworks "Play at Home" Live Virtual Recess supports kids' healthy movement and play while students are home. Monday thru Friday at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm EST