The purpose of this policy bulletin is to inform all staff at Job and Non-Cash Assistance (NCA) Food Stamp (FS) Centers of a new initiative called Opportunity NYC.
Opportunity NYC is a new, privately funded conditional cash transfer program that helps low-income families break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
Participating families will potentially earn between $50 and $300 for completing a conditional activity or meeting a specified target. Cash incentives will be awarded on a bimonthly basis with the total amount contingent on the number of defined activities completed. Participant families stand to earn between $3,000 and $5,000 per year depending on family size and level of targets met.
Opportunity NYC incentive payments (also known as a Conditional Cash Transfers [CCT]) are a product of the Opportunity NYC Partners fund. The City of New York is not a contributor to this fund.
Note: If the Worker learns that an applicant/participant is receiving incentive payments, the Worker is not to budget the income for purposes of Cash Assistance, Food Stamp or Medicaid eligibility.
If an applicant/participant has any questions concerning the payment or receipt of a conditional cash transfer the worker must:
• suggest that the applicant/participant check his/her bank statement
• direct him/her to the Opportunity NYC Hotline at (212) 994-4528
• inform the applicant/participant that s/he must have the Opportunity NYC family identification number (six digits) ready when calling the hotline.
Beginning in November 2007, Opportunity NYC will reach approximately 5,000 families, half of which will be part of a pilot program in Central and East Harlem in Manhattan, Brownsville and East New York in Brooklyn, and Morris Heights/Mount Hope and East Tremont/Belmont in the Bronx.
|
