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Homelessness in New York is on the rise. The total number of homeless individuals in shelters was 50,926 in June 2013. It's not a surprise that the most commented blog post on our blog is our blog on Homelessness. This blog is meant to help answer the multiple numbers of questions we received in regards to issues related to homelessness. 1. What are my child’s educational rights when we are placed in a shelter?

At some point in your life, you may find yourself needing to complete a living will and health care proxy form for either yoursel

Seniors are often vulnerable to different kinds of consumer frauds. A common and less-known type of fraud affecting seniors is Medicare fraud.

During this time we honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces. Home to over 1,000,000 Veterans, New Yorkers lead the way in service to our country. 80,000 New York veterans have served or are currently serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including more than 7,000 members of the New York Army National Guard. Many of our Veterans have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan more than once, which in turn has taken its toll on them and their families.

Steven Banks, the new commissioner of New York City’s Human Resources Administration (“H.R.A.”) announced changes that make it easier to receive public assistance. The purpose of these immediate reforms is to remove policies that have harmed welfare recipients in the past, as well as to address unnecessary financial penalties. Changes have been made in the following areas: Adults with no childrenAdults with no children are no longer required to work full-time in order to receive food stamps.

Unemployment Insurance process can be overwhelming and at times frustrating, especially for individuals with limited English proficiency or other barriers.  As a result, there is a new state agency available to help you with your unemployment application.

[caption id="attachment_3802" align="alignleft" width="363"] Credit: Shutterstock[/caption]NYC women have something to celebrate this year!Whether dealing with limited maternity leave and work protections, or threats of being laid-off or fired, it's no secret that expecting mothers do not have an easy time in the US.  Despite the fact that the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act bars employer discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, pregnant workers are often forced out of their jobs or denied accommodations that allow them to keep working.Studies

[caption id="attachment_3242" align="alignleft" width="380"] Photo: Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff[/caption]Mayor de Blasio released his long-awaited report evaluating NYC's Sandy response and detailing his plan to overhaul the Build it Back program.

On March 19, 2014 Mayor de Blasio signed into law a major expansion of the Earned Sick Time Act that was first enacted last spring. Businesses with 5 + employees who are hired to work more than 80 hours a calendar year are now required to provide paid sick days (an increase from the prior law which only covered businesses with 15+ employees). Workers at smaller businesses will accrue unpaid sick time.Employers who have one or more domestic workers who have been employed at least one year and who work more than 80 hours a calendar year must provide paid sick leave.

[caption id="attachment_3242" align="alignleft" width="150"] Photo: Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff[/caption]Reports of problems with insurance companies are surfacing.The Washington Post is reporting that insurance companies are  shortchanging victims of Hurricane Sandy and either not paying or underpaying the claims.The article states, “Many homeowners who got slammed by Hurricane Sandy one year ago are finding that their flood insurance checks are nowhere near large enough to cover their repairs, and consumer advocates put some of the blame on errors by the multitude of adjusters who