Benefits

So...

While going through paper work last night at about 1 in the morning, I came across a form for the United Federation of Teachers Welfare Fund which I needed to fill out quite awhile ago in order to get my prescription benefits (oops). I put it aside and decided to work on it this morning.

Let me tell ya... New York City talks a good game with it comes to Domestic Partnership stuff... but it's ALL talk.

So the giant packet I have to fill out has an information page which walks you through the process of completing each page. I quote:

Step 5-Section E: Spouce/Domestic Partner Information

- Please remember if married, you must attatch a photocopy of your marriage certificate.
- For Domestic Partnerships you must attatch the following:
IF YOU RESIDE IN NYC:
- Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program AND/OR
- Domestic Parthernsip Registration Certificate
IF YOU RESIDE OUTSIDE NYC:
- Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program AND/OR
- Alternative Affidavit of Domestic Partnership
PLEASE NOTE FOR DOMESTUC PARTNERSHIPS ONLY: if you are NOT applying for city health benefits, you must also submit a "DECLARATION OF FINANCIAL INTERDEPENDENCE" form.

Right off the bat, married couples need to provide one photocopy of a document. Me, I have no idea what an "Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program" is... so I pick up the phone.

"Hello, UFT Welfare Fund."
"Hi. I'm trying to fill out my enrollment packet, and I'm not sure what a "Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program" is. Can you help me?"
"Sure. We don't handle that. You need to call this number."
"Ok, now, is the letter mandatory, or is just the Registration Certificate sufficent?"
"No sweetie, you need to have both."
"Oh, because the packet says 'and/or' so I thought I might only need one."
"Just call this number and they'll help you out."
"Ok, thanks. bye."

I dial the second number.

"Yes?"
"Hello, is this the NYC Employee Benefits Program office?"
"Yeah."
"OK. I'm trying to get information on the 'Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program' that I need to submit to the UFT Welfare Fund."
"Uh-hu"
"Can you help me."
"Yeah."
"Ok... What do I need?"
"What you tryin' to do?"
"I need to submit the letter in order to put my domestic partner on my health care for the City of New York."
"OK, so you want to put him on you plan."
"Ummmm... yeah..."
"Ok, we'll send you an approval packet and yous gotta fill dat out."
"What does the approval packet consist of?"
"Yous gotta have it to to get da letter."
"And what does the letter mean?"
"Listen honey, you just fill it out and get it notarized and send it back to us."
"Could you please tell me what the purpose of this packet is?"

Needless to say, the conversation got me nowhere, so I asked to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor, however, so so amazingly belligerant, that I asked to speak to HER supervisor and, after about 25 mintues, managed to uncover the fact that, despite giving out Domestic Partner certificates in the City of New York, The City Of New York does not consider a Domestic Partner certificate to be satisfactory proof of a Domestic Partnership. In order to enroll Lady M, I'm going to need to provide bank records, credit card statements, lease agreements and utility bills in both our names, along with the ORIGINAL copy of our Domestic Partner Certificate, 2 photocopies and a Notarized affidavid stating that all stated information is true. All told, this is going to cost about 50 dollars (if not more) that married couples wouldn't have to pay, and then it is possible that New York City could DENY the domestic partnership benefits for not being enough of a domestic partnership despite having the Domestic Partnership Certificate from the city of New York.

I called the ACLU.