N.Y. Workers' Compensation Law § 33: Assignments; exemptions

§ 33. Assignments; exemptions. Compensation or benefits due under this

chapter shall not be assigned, released or commuted except as provided

by this chapter, and shall be exempt from all claims of creditors and

from levy, execution and attachment or other remedy for recovery or

collection of a debt, which exemption may not be waived provided,

however, that compensation or benefits other than payments pursuant to

section thirteen of this chapter shall be subject to application to an

income execution or order for support enforcement pursuant to section

fifty-two hundred forty-one or fifty-two hundred forty-two of the civil

practice law and rules. Compensation and benefits shall be paid only to

employees or their dependents, except as hereinafter in this chapter

provided. In the case of the death of an injured employee to whom there

was due at the time of his or her death any compensation under the

provisions of this chapter, the amount of such compensation shall be

payable to the surviving spouse, if there be one, or, if none, to the

surviving child or children of the deceased under the age of eighteen

years, and if there be no surviving spouse or children, then to the

dependents of such deceased employee or to any of them as the board may

direct, and if there be no surviving spouse, children or dependents of

such deceased employee, then to his estate. An award for disability may

be made after the death of the injured employee.