COLUMBIA, S.C. (Wednesday, Nov. 2) – With the start of a new month you may wonder if the disaster assistance you received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will reduce your Social Security checks or other benefits, or raise your income tax bill.
No need to worry! Federal disaster assistance does not count as income. Social Security payments or Medicare benefits are not affected by disaster relief payments from the government or donations from charitable organizations. And, disaster recovery grants will not affect anyone’s eligibility for welfare assistance, Medicaid, food stamps or Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Grants for disaster recovery assistance are not counted as income in determining eligibility for any income-tested benefit program that the U.S. government funds.
Likewise, eligibility for FEMA assistance is not dependent on income. The amount of disaster assistance an eligible applicant receives is based on the amount of loss and damage incurred as a direct result of the storms and floods from Hurricane Matthew.
Survivors of Hurricane Matthew have until December 13 to register with FEMA for disaster assistance by one of the following methods:
- Call 800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or video services) or 800-462-7585 (TTY). Lines are open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and multilingual operators are available.
- Apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
- Visit a Disaster Recovery Center. To find the one nearest you, check “Quick Links” at DisasterAssistance.gov. DRCs are accessible to people with disabilities. The centers have tools to amplify sound, magnifiers and materials in alternative formats along with video remote interpretation. Sign language interpreters are available upon request at the center.
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).
You can receive weather alerts, safety tips and learn about disaster resources by downloading the free FEMA App, available for Apple, Android, and Blackberry mobile devices. Visit fema.gov/mobile-app for more information.
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. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion4 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.
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.
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Disaster Aid Doesn’t Affect Government Benefits
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