2006 New York Code - 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.