Understanding the Letter You Receive from FEMA

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As you read through the paperwork related to disaster recovery, the last thing you may want to hear is that you will receive another letter. However, if you registered with FEMA for assistance, you will receive a determination letter from the agency’s Individuals and Households Program.

As you review this letter, it may bring you news explaining what types of disaster assistance you will receive. It may, instead, tell you that you are ineligible for assistance or that FEMA needs more information.

Sometimes, this can be easily corrected. The difference between a “no” and a “yes” may be as simple as signing documents, furnishing insurance settlement information or fixing an error on your application.

If you have any questions about your letter or what steps you need to take, you can call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 (800-621-FEMA) or TTY 800-462-7585. If you use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services, call 800-621-3362; the toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, until further notice.

You also can visit a DRC where FEMA specialists can help with appeals, answer questions, review applications and accept required documents. A list of open DRCs is available online at: fema.gov/drc.

You can appeal the decision in writing within 60 days from the date shown on the determination letter. Signed and dated appeals should be mailed to:

FEMA-Appeals Officer

National Processing Service Center

P.O. Box 10055

Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055

Appeals may be faxed to 1-800-827-8112.

If you are not eligible for FEMA assistance, you may be eligible for other programs such as an SBA low-interest disaster loan or help from volunteer agencies.

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For breaking news about flood recovery, follow FEMA Region 7 on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion7 and turn on mobile notifications or visit the FEMA web pages dedicated to this disaster at www.fema.gov/disaster/4250.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.