New April 1 Deadline Allows Additional Time for Residents to Register for FEMA Assistance
Trenton, NJ –The Christie Administration announced today that New Jersey residents impacted by Superstorm Sandy now have until April 1, 2013 to register for individual disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The deadline extension applies for homeowner, renter, and business registration with the Small Business Administration (SBA) for Disaster Loan Assistance, another important step in the disaster relief process to ensure survivors obtain all relief they are eligible for.
“This 30-day extension will help us ensure that anyone who has been affected by Sandy gets the help they need and deserve,” said Governor Christie. “It’s vitally important for people to know that the process of receiving any type of federal disaster assistance – including future grant assistance for homeowners and businesses – begins with registering as a disaster survivor with FEMA and working with a coordinator to determine eligibility for relief. I encourage those who have not yet registered with FEMA and SBA to do so now to get the relief they are entitled to and to ensure their eligibility for any future relief we can offer.”
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Posted: February 28th, 2013 | Author: admin | Filed under: Chris Christie, Christie Administration, FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, Press Release, SBA loans, Small Business Administration, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: Chris Christe, FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, SBA, Superstorm Sandy | 1 Comment »
Insured Applicants May Be Eligible for Assistance for Unmet Needs
Trenton, NJ –Disaster assistance may sometimes cover damages that insurance doesn’t. That is why individuals affected by Hurricane Sandy are urged by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to apply for assistance even if they have insurance.
Apply for FEMA assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by web-enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov. Applicants can also register by phone by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), 711/VRS, or TTY 1-800-462-7585.
Only applying directly with FEMA will establish your registration for disaster assistance. Signing up or meeting with any other agency does not mean you are registered with FEMA.
“We want everyone qualified for assistance to receive help as soon as possible,”said State Coordinating Officer Lt. Jeff Mottley.
Keep in mind that you need to file your insurance claim with your insurance company as soon as possible. Failure to file a claim may affect a policyholder’s eligibility for disaster assistance. You have up to 12 months from the date of registration with FEMA to submit insurance information for review.
“By law, we cannot duplicate what insurance already covers. But we may be able to help with some disaster-related expenses, that are not covered by insurance,”explained Federal Coordinating Officer Michael J. Hall.
After filing a claim, if any of the following situations occurs FEMA may be able to provide some assistance:
Your insurance settlement is delayed.
- “Delayed”means a decision on your insurance settlement has been delayed longer than 30-days from the time you filed the claim.
- If a decision on your insurance settlement has been delayed, you will need to mail a letter or send a FAX to FEMA explaining the circumstance. Mail or FAX your letter to:
FEMA IHP
National Processing Service Center
PO Box 10055
Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055
FAX 1-800-827-8112
- You should include documentation from the insurance company proving that you filed the claim.
- If you filed your claim over the telephone, you should include the claim number, date when you applied, and the estimated time of how long it will take to receive your settlement.
- If you receive FEMA assistance and you later find that your insurance will cover what your FEMA assistance was for, then you must return that money to FEMA because
it is considered a duplicate benefit.
Your insurance settlement is insufficient to meet your disaster-related needs.
- If you have received the maximum settlement from your insurance and still have an unmet disaster-related need, you will need to mail or FAX a letter to FEMA at the above address indicating the unmet disaster-related need.
- You will also need to send in documentation from your insurance company on what they cover for review.
You have exhausted the Additional Living Expenses (ALE) provided by your insurance company.
- If you have received the maximum settlement from your insurance for Additional Living Expenses and still need help with your disaster-related temporary housing need, mail or FAX a letter to FEMA at the above address indicating why you continue to have a temporary housing need.
- You will also need to provide documentation to prove use of ALE from insurance,
and a permanent housing plan.
You are unable to locate rental resources in your area.
- The FEMA Helpline has a list of rental resources in the disaster area.
SBA Loans
- Many people who apply for disaster aid also receive an application for a low-interest disaster loan from the SBA. If you receive an application, be sure to fill it out and return it in order
to be considered for all forms of disaster assistance.
- FEMA will process applications for housing assistance regardless of whether or not the applicant has applied for an SBA loan. Eligibility determinations for FEMA’s temporary housing assistance will not be held up because the applicant has or has not filled out an SBA application.
- You must complete an SBA loan application to be eligible for additional assistance under
the part of the FEMA program that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement,
and moving and storage expenses.
You can apply for an SBA disaster loan online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
Posted: November 24th, 2012 | Author: admin | Filed under: Christie Administration, FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, Press Release, SBA loans, Small Business, Small Business Administration | Tags: Christie Administration, FEMA, Press Release, SBA, SBA loans | 1 Comment »
