Although expanded unemployment insurance played a large role in decreasing the number of people living in poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic, millions—most notably undocumented workers—were excluded from these benefits. The New York State Excluded Workers Fund (EWF) is the most notable example of legislation to address this gap. Passed in April 2021, the EWF approved 130,000 excluded workers to receive financial support that roughly equaled the average total amount unemployed workers eligible for unemployment compensation received, approximately $15,600 per person. To understand the experiences of workers who applied for EWF and of those that did not receive benefits from the fund, we conducted 15 interviews with workers in English, Spanish, Bangla, and Korean and 9 interviews with staff from community-based organizations serving various populations in New York and providing crucial application assistance.
We found that those who received the fund used it to make ends meet during a period of severe job loss by
paying back rent and other bills;
repaying debt incurred during the pandemic;
stabilizing or improving their housing conditions;
paying for basic needs like food;
investing in their children and education;
taking care of their health and paying for medical expenses;
expanding employment opportunities; and
increasing excluded workers’ sense of dignity
We found that workers who applied but did not receive the fund because of difficulties providing the required documentation faced
continuing stress around unstable income;
debt burden; and
other dire circumstances.
The New York State Department of Labor quickly and effectively adopted the EWF, but ultimately, the fund ran out of money more quickly than anticipated. Although the fund was a high-impact intervention for those who benefitted, it has not provided solutions to the ongoing instability that accompanies a lack of lawful permanent status in the US.