DELAND -- Emergency Management officials are advising citizens affected by Tropical Storm Fay they may have a second chance for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Volusia County spokeswoman Shelley Szafraniec.
Citizens who applied for disaster assistance from FEMA following the storm - and later received a letter stating they were not eligible for disaster aid - may be able to reopen the chance for disaster assistance with an appeal letter. Appeal letters are due to FEMA by Tuesday, Dec. 9.
According to FEMA officials, there are many reasons a request for individual assistance may be denied, or the amount of an assistance grant is lower than expected. Reasons can include:
# An unreturned disaster loan application from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA);
# No record of the damaged property as the citizen’s primary residence at the time of the disaster;
# Damage was due to deferred maintenance (pre-existing conditions);
# No acceptable evidence of identity, documentation of disaster damage, or proof of ownership of the damaged property; a missing signature;
or, determination made in error.
One of the most common reasons for denials is insurance-related, since FEMA must withhold aid until an insurance settlement is reached (assistance programs are not intended to duplicate insurance compensation or cover deductibles for disaster-related loss or damage). Applicants who have filed an insurance claim may receive a letter of ineligibility. Once the insurance claim is settled, applicants should notify FEMA of the claim amount so the request for disaster assistance can continue to be processed.
Citizens who want to appeal denial for assistance should send an appeal letter postmarked within 60 days of the date on the decision letter. Items in the letter should include:
# Applicant’s FEMA disaster registration number;
# The federal disaster declaration number;
# An explanation of why they think the decision about the amount or type of assistance they received is incorrect;
# And/or, specifics regarding issues they think were not addressed in the inspection process.
Applicants who applied for FEMA's Individuals and Households Program before the Nov. 10 registration deadline were given 60 days from the date of their determination letter denying aid to appeal the decision in writing. Those who registered after the official registration deadline, due to extraordinary personal circumstances, must appeal a determination of denial letter in writing by Tuesday, Dec. 9.
Appeal letters should be addressed to:
FEMA - Individuals & Households Program National Processing Service Center, P.O. Box 10055 Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055
Letters also can be faxed to (800) 827-8112 with a cover sheet addressed as follows:
Attention: FEMA - Individuals & Households Program.
Citizens can obtain FEMA assistance online at www.fema.gov or at (800) 621-FEMA (3362). Hearing- or speech-impaired individuals can call (800) 462-7585 (TTY). The phone lines have multilingual operators available and are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. - midnight.