Financial Counseling

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Alert

If you are experiencing sudden changes to your household budget or income due to COVID-19, financial counselors can help you:

Manage your money and set up a spending plan
Contact creditors about existing loans, including student loans
Draft letters to creditors to lower payments or temporarily suspend payments due to hardship
Develop a strategy to minimize debt
Access local, state, and federal emergency resources

Financial Empowerment Centers are not providing in-person assistance until further notice, but you can still schedule an appointment to speak with a financial counselor by phone. You'll need to sign up for a Financial Empowerment Portal account first.

Need something else?

Financial Counseling for People with Disabilities
Ready to Rent for financial counseling to help you submit a stronger affordable housing application

You can schedule an appointment with a New York City Financial Empowerment Center Counselor.

Counselors can help you:

Take control of your debt
Deal with debt collectors
Improve your credit
Create a budget
Open a bank account
Start an emergency fund
Save and plan for your future

Financial counseling is free and confidential. Professional counselors speak multiple languages.

Same-day, walk-in appointments are possible if counselors are available.

Financial Empowerment Centers are run by the Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment, in partnership with:

Ariva
Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
BronxWorks
Chhaya CDC
Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners
New York Legal Assistance Group
Urban Upbound

Online

Book an appointment online.

By Phone

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Alert

Phone assistance is currently unavailable.

If you have questions about a financial counseling appointment or your portal account, email portalsupport@dca.nyc.gov.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, eligible individuals and families will receive Economic Impact Payments (stimulus payments) of up to $1,200 (for single filers) and $2,400 (for married couples filing jointly) plus an additional $500 for each dependent child under age 17.

To be eligible:

You must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or resident alien.
You must have a valid Social Security number (SSN).
You must have Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in 2019 that is under $99,000 (single filer) and $198,000 (joint filers).
You cannot be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.

You will receive an automatic payment if you:

Filed your 2018 and/or 2019 tax return before April 13, 2020 and meet the income criteria.
Do not file a tax return but receive:
- Veterans Affairs (VA) Compensation and Pension benefits
- Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits (includes retirement and Social Security Disability Income)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits
- Survivors benefits (VA, SSA, RRB)

If you filed your 2018 or 2019 taxes and included your banking information for direct deposit, the payment will be deposited in your bank account.

The deadline to submit banking information for direct deposit was Wednesday, May 13th. You can no longer request direct deposit. You will get payment by mail.

If you will not receive an automatic payment, you must take action by October 15, 2020 to receive your stimulus payment this year.

This may mean:

Filing a tax return OR
Registering for your payment as a “non-filer” on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website if you are not required to file a tax return because your income was too low:
- Under $12,200 (single filer)
- Under $24,400 (joint filers)

NYC Free Tax Prep can guide you.

Note: The income tax filing deadline was July 15, 2020. You can still file your tax return for free using NYC Free Tax Prep through October 15, 2020. If you owe the government money, be aware that late filing penalties apply.

Prepaid Debit Card

Some people will receive their Economic Impact Payment by prepaid debit card, instead of paper check. These Economic Impact Payment Cards arrive in a plain envelope from Money Network Cardholder Services. The Visa name will appear on the front of the card; the back of the card has the name of the issuing bank, MetaBank. The card will come with instructions on how to activate and use it.

Those who receive Economic Impact Payment by prepaid debit card can do the following without any fees: