The Genesee County Department of Social Services is ready, willing and able to meet residents’ needs through a variety of programs despite travel limitations created by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
That was the message conveyed by Carla Mindler, director of financial services, and Peter Antonucci, coordinator of child support enforcement, during Thursday’s “Genesee Connects” video public service announcement.
Genesee County DSS is open during its regular hours, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and those in need of services are encouraged to call for assistance or utilize a number of helpful websites to get answers to there questions, Mindler and Antonucci said, noting that all department employees are wearing masks as a precautionary measure.
Mindler said employees in her department, which deal with benefits such as SNAP, HEAP, Medicaid and child care, can conduct telephone interviews, even for temporary and emergency assistance.
“The face-to-face interview has been waived by the state … and the eligibility has not changed – income, resources, residences, those remain the same,” she said, adding that if people want to come into the DSS building on East Main Street Road arrangements for in-house phone conversations would be made.
She said New York State has given DSS “flexibility as far as processing the applications that we get … as everyone is having a rough time right now getting documentation.”
“If you’re having a hard time getting this information, please reach out to us because if we have sent a request to you and we hear nothing, potentially your application will be denied,” she said. “If you are having a hard time, please reach out and we will do all we can to get you the information.”
She also advised that DSS will accept fax copies and has set up a drop box for paperwork outside the lobby that is checked several times each day. Additionally, paper applications for all programs (a requirement for temporary or emergency assistance) are available on a table just inside the main entrance.
Mindler highlighted some the programs that she oversees:
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
People can apply online at www.mybenefits.ny.gov or by filling out a paper application.
Mindler said New York State put a COVID-19 emergency allotment in place for those who had an open SNAP case who were paid benefits in March and April, with additional benefits provided up to the maximum amount.
“The state has also extended some cases,” she said. “If someone was due to be recertified in March, April, May, they’ve extended those out a few months, which has helped us greatly with our processing because we had a huge influx of new SNAP applications. This allowed us to work on the new applications and not worry so much on (existing cases).”
HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program)
Mindler said the program was scheduled to end on April 24 but has been extended to June 30, with a third emergency benefit added on.
“Both regular and emergency benefit components are now extended,” she said, again noting that people can apply at www.mybenefits.ny.gov.
Temporary assistance and emergency assistance
“In general, we have to have a face-to-face interview but that is waived right now,” Mindler said. “As long as you have an application we will call you for an interview but you still have to have documentation (paper applications).”
She said applications are online, at the DSS lobby or can be mailed to people who call DSS.
Medicaid
The majority of people for Medicaid, since it is run by New York State, will have to apply through the marketplace, she said, although cases where age, blindness or disability are involved can be handled locally.
“You can call our office to see where you should apply, but we do not have access to case status or application status for cases that apply through the NY State of Health (www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov),” she said.
Mindler reported that for those who had open Medicaid cases on March 18, at the outset of the virus, “most of those cases (per state directives) have been extended (by) 12 months, regardless of the type of coverage you had.”
Child care
Child care is a subsidized program and applications are being taken over the phone, she said.
“We do not have a wait list right now; you can call and just ask for the child care worker and she can explain the program to you, and send an application,” she said.
Mindler said that due to COVID-19, DSS has applied and been approved for a waiver "to waive the family share for child care at this time and also to get an extension on requirements for certification." For more about child care, the phone number is (585) 344-2580, ext. 6423.
As far as child support is concerned, Antonucci said the county office is “committed to ensure the quality of service and response to your needs continue.”
"We are continuing to go through all of our daily reports, correspondence that comes in is being reviewed and answered, and work activity that needs to be done is done in a timely manner so it doesn’t delay any child support payments,” he said.
Antonucci said that child support payments still being applied daily at the processing center in Albany and disbursed out to families, and that all enforcement remedies other than being able to file something with Family Court are being done.
“Income executions are going out to employers, employers are complying with them and sending the payments in and, in turn, they are being released out to the family,” he said.
Antonucci pointed to the following websites:
www.childsupport.ny.gov – Where people can get general information as well as specific info about their account, how to make child support payments through the state processing center, setting up automatic withdrawals from bank accounts, paying by credit card, and submitting a change of address or employer.
www.co.genesee.ny.us – By going to the Social Services page, people can find a credit card payment option – by clicking on a link to www. govpaynow.com. “This has been approved locally and we, locally, submit the payment to the state to be processed, which ends up as a quicker way to get it applied to the account and out to the family,” Antonucci said.
The Genesee County child support email is: csewebgenesee@dfa.state.ny.us
“It’s a great way of getting a hold of us,” he said, “and if you can’t through that way, you can always call the DSS number -- 585-344-2580 -- and you’ll be connected with an operator, and ask to talk to your child support investigator.”
The NYS child support help line is 1-888-208-4485.
The “Genesee Connects” video can be viewed here.
