Undocumented immigrants living in New York State are now better positioned to benefit from a fund called the Excluded Workers Fund. It is designed for New Yorkers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and has an impressive $ 2.1 billion.
The access to this money for “illegal immigrants” who are willing to pay taxes is made easier thanks to the fact that the Federal Tax Service (IRS – Internal Revenue Service) introduced a new procedure. It takes a long time to get a taxpayer number that identifies an individual (the so-called ITIN). The IRS has simplified the process by issuing a stamped W-7 form to the applicant certifying that they have applied for an ITIN. There is no need to wait with this document. You can immediately apply for help from the Excluded Workers Fund.
All of this was made possible by the fact that in April three lawmakers from New York – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, State Senator Jessica Ramos (Democrat from Queens) and Assemblyman Carmen de la Rosa (Democrat from Manhattan) – sent a letter to IRS asks to find ways to speed up the process. The letter worked.
Its authors held a press conference last week. The simplified procedure will open the way to federal aid for 15,600 people who have long but unsuccessfully sought it. In March, a hunger strike was even held for immigrants and their supporters. Schumer mentioned in a press conference that after sending the letter, he also had to call the IRS to expedite a decision.
“This is a big victory,” he told reporters. “Money, of course, is not everything, but it is something very essential.”
The senator added that more taxpayer assistance centers should be opened in New York where they can get stamped W-7 forms. Now there are 14 such centers, but this is clearly not enough.
Newspaper headline:
IRS will help illegal immigrants get financial assistance
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