Public Advocate's Corner

Accessing Services: Applying for Unemployment Insurance Benefits

The economic downturn has forced many New Yorkers to look for new jobs and the unemployment rate is now at 7.4 percent. That reflects the highest level in nearly five years, and some forecast unemployment getting worse before it gets better. Fortunately, New York State provides an unemployment insurance program, a program intended to buttress city-administered services like Food Stamps, Cash Assistance and one-time emergency grants for extra help.

What You Should Know

Unemployment benefits are administered by the State Department of Labor (DOL). 
New York City provides information about the program here. According to DOL, "the unemployment insurance program provides benefits to individuals who have sufficient employment to establish a claim, have lost employment through no fault of their own, are ready, willing and able to work and are actively seeking work."

How to File a Claim

You can file a claim for unemployment insurance benefits if you have worked in New York State within the last 18 months, as long as you meet the qualifying conditions. Visit the DOL’s Before You Apply For Unemployment: Frequently Asked Questions website to determine whether you qualify because not all employment qualifies for benefits. For example, if you quit your job or were fired for such things as excessive absenteeism or insubordination, you may not qualify for unemployment insurance. There is detailed information online about filing unemployment insurance claims electronically.

• By Phone: To apply for benefits, contact DOL's Telephone Claims Center toll-free at 1-888-209–8124. This service is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

• Online: You may apply for benefits online by going here. Note that the hours of operation for applying for UI benefits using the Benefits Online Page are 7:30am to 7:30pm Monday through Thursday, 7:30am to 5:00pm Friday, all day Saturday, and Sunday until 7:00pm. Access NYC provides basic information about applying for unemployment benefits here. You also may click here for a link to the DOL’s How to Apply website.

When Should I File A Claim?

According to DOL, your claim should be filed in the first week that you have become unemployed. “Your first week is an unpaid waiting week is commonly referred to as the “waiting period”. A delay may cost you benefits."  DOL also provides an on line list of what information you should have available when you apply, including, for example, "the names and addresses of all employers for whom you've worked within the last 18 months, including those employers in another state."

Other Information

• DOL expects that an additional 13 weeks of federally-funded emergency benefits or Emergency Unemployment Compensation will be available February 22, 2009.

• Don't be tricked into paying for help in filing for unemployment insurance. Some organizations claim to be affiliated with DOL that they can help speed claims, but this is not the case. DOL clearly states that "[t]he State Labor Department does not want our customers to be fooled by these claims … using a paid service to file your claim will not ensure faster handling."

• Many of your questions may be answered on line on DOL's Before You Apply for Unemployment: Frequently Asked Questions page.

If you're having trouble with your unemployment insurance claim, please call my office at 212-669-7250.

Guest Post: Christian DiPalermo on Toxic Turf

Following this week's Hearing by the Committee on Parks and Recreation on Artificial Turf, our guest post today comes from Christian DiPalermo, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Parks.

“For the last seven years, we have seen the Department of Parks and Recreation use artificial turf fields throughout the city.  In 2006, we issued a report calling on the City to “proceed with caution” when using artificial turf.  However, the City did not heed our call; rather; they have continued to put down artificial turf fields on new ball fields. In the next few years, 365 acres of parkland will have artificial turf.  

In the past two years, there has been much debate about the associated health and environmental risks associated with specific types of artificial turf.  We feel strongly, in light of finding high toxins on older fields in Thomas Jefferson Park that the Parks Department should establish protocols and conduct a General Environmental Impact Statement before they put down any more artificial turf fields or before they rip up old fields.  Because technology is ever-changing, we may never know all the risks associated with artificial turf, but we do know we need protocols to ensure the safety of our children and the environment."

Check It Out! Gotbaum Featured On NY 1 Weekend Show

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum appeared Saturday on NY 1's NY Times Close Up with Sam Roberts.

You can view both parts of the interview below:

To view the interview on YouTube, click for Part 1 or Part 2.

Mark Green Enters the Race for Public Advocate

It doesn't surprise me that the field of strong candidates for the Public Advocate's race continues to grow. I believe that is a sign of how extremely important the office is for New Yorkers.

I have been meeting with each candidate to ensure they are fully aware of the structure, function and unique challenges of this office - most importantly, that it lacks an independent budget. For the Office of the Public Advocate to reach its full potential, it must have an independent budget to be a true watchdog over city agencies and check and balance to the Mayor.

In the coming months, I plan to work alongside all of the candidates to strengthen this office, while continuing each day to help the most vulnerable New Yorkers get better access to city services.

Testifying on Toxic Turf

This morning, Betsy Gotbaum gave opening remarks for the Committee on Parks and Recreation Hearing on Artificial Turf.

The Public Advocate has worked for 2 years to raise concerns about synthetic turf in city parks.

Betsy Gotbaum said, "Thank you, Councilmember Foster and members of the Committee on Parks and Recreation for holding this important hearing. I have been working on this issue for nearly two years now. In December 2007, the Committee met to ask the Parks Department how they planned to investigate the health and environmental effects of synthetic turf. Today, although testing has now been completed on existing fields, questions still remain about the health and environmental risks that artificial turf may pose.

Accessing Services: How to Avoid Credit Card Scams

In today’s world, credit cards are a great convenience, but they can cause some major financial problems if they fall into the hands of criminals.  

Government agencies, merchants and consumer groups continually try to find ways to thwart credit card theft. The NYC Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Office of Financial Empowerment offers basic information about credit card fraud and what to do if you're a victim. To access this information, click here. DCA also provides common-sense tips for victims of identity theft.

According to DCA, "Federal and state law requires that electronically issued credit card receipts redact the credit card expiration date and all but the last five numbers of the credit card." Federal law also limits your liability to $50 in case of theft, though many banks waive even the $50, as well as any fraudulent charges made with your card. (You may be asked to sign an affidavit saying that the charges are not yours).

How Fraud Happens:
In what is known as "skimming", someone can make a duplicate imprint of your card and sell the number to third parties to make internet or telephone purchases. Some imprint your information on a blank card, and some try random groups of numbers until they find one that matches an account in good standing.

Protect Yourself:

•  Do not give your account number over the phone unless you initiate the call and know that the company is reputable. Never provide credit card info when, for example, someone calls you and says there has been a "computer problem" that requires you to verify credit card information. Legitimate companies don't do this. Similarly, don't be fooled by callers who claim to be "fraud investigators" who need the security code on the back of your card. If in doubt, call the toll-free number on the back of your card and ask if there is a problem with your account. 

• Never respond to e-mails that request credit card verification. And never respond to e-mails that direct you to a website to verify credit card information, even if the site looks legitimate (again, a legitimate site will not do this). This known as "phishing."

• Protect the number on your card.  A cross-cut paper shredder is a good investment, and shredding any documents with your credit card number before recycling is a good habit.

• Don't write your personal identification number (PIN) on your card or even on a paper in your wallet, since your wallet could get stolen. Instead, keep a list of all account numbers and expiration dates in a secure place, along with the telephone numbers of issuing banks. Some consumer advocates recommend that you carry credit cards separately -- and that you never carry more credit cards than you need.

• Regularly check your credit card transaction record online rather than waiting until you receive your monthly statement. This will quickly apprise you of any unauthorized charges. And report suspicious activity to your credit card company immediately. Most have toll-free numbers.

More Resources:

Apart from information you may find on DCA's Office of Financial Empowerment website, a great deal of substantive material relating to credit card fraud is available online. For example, the FBI provides a list of tips regarding credit card fraud and how to prevent it. The Federal Trade Commission also provides many tips on how to avoid fraud. Consumer-oriented groups such as ScamBusters.org, unaffiliated with government agencies, provide useful information on how to thwart credit card fraudsters.

Finally, you may want to check out the not-for-profit National Consumers League Fraud Center.  And, of course, you may call my office at 212-669-7250.

Betsy Testifies at MTA Hearing on Proposed Fare Hikes

Last night, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum testified at the final MTA Hearing on the proposed fare hikes and service cuts at Lehman College.

Betsy Gotbaum said, "I support tolling on the bridges as well as the business payroll tax as a means of preventing services cuts and fare increases.  A proposal to raise fares yet again is a tough pill to swallow under the best of circumstances. But this year especially, we need to do everything we can to spare the most vulnerable New Yorkers—those with low incomes, the elderly, the disabled—any additional financial burden."

Read the full testimony here.

Plastic Bag Tax: Weigh In

Mayor Bloomberg’s preliminary budget for Fiscal Year 2010 calls for a 5-cent tax on plastic bags at department stores and restaurants. The mayor’s office estimates that the tax will raise $84 million in revenue and reduce the number of plastic bags used by New Yorkers.

In October 2007, I cosponsored a bill – later passed overwhelmingly by the City Council – mandating that large stores and retail chains provide recycling bins for plastic bags. It also required that these stores offer reusable bags to replace plastic or paper bags altogether.

There is no doubt we have a plastic bag problem, and the mayor has proposed an idea worth considering. But, I’m interested to know:

What do you think? How would this proposal affect you? Will you purchase a reusable bag if there is a 5-cent tax on plastic ones?

 Update: Some stores are already beginning to collect and recycle plastic bags.

Gotbaum Speaks on Public Benefits & HRA Job Centers

This morning, Public Advocate Gotbaum spoke to a roomful of advocates at a meeting of the Welfare Reform Network. The Public Advocate spoke specifically about her office’s recent report on the experiences of clients at Human Resources Administration (HRA) Job Centers [pdf] and the Ready Access to Assistance Act.

Gotbaum said, "Long waits, missing records, miscommunication. These are the last things New York’s low-income families need, especially at a time like this. My office’s report identified these problems in August and September of 2008, when New Yorkers were just becoming aware of the severity of the economic crisis. 

Two weeks ago we learned that the City’s unemployment rate jumped a full percentage point from November to December, to 7.4%, reaching the highest level in five years. We should expect job losses for months to come. With high unemployment, we need to be prepared for an influx of people who need access to benefits. There’s no time to waste. New Yorkers are in need, and HRA needs to address the problems at its Job Centers.

Is there an easy solution to these problems? No, just as there is no easy way out of our current financial crisis.  But there are ways the city can reduce barriers to benefits." Follow the link above to see our recommendations.

To find out more about the REAACT bill, watch the video below.

Betsy in Brooklyn: Focusing on Students Instead of Scores

Today, Betsy joined students, teachers and community members at the Urban Assembly Academy of Arts & Letters in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, to participate in one of a series of innovative roundtables aimed at giving students an opportunity to share and discuss the work and learning they have done over the course of a semester.

The roundtables are intended to be conversations about learning between small groups of students, teachers and invested community members, and reinforce the idea that students' learning should be assessed by more than standardized testing.