Release Number:

FYSA-News Release NR062 for DR 4241 SC

COLUMBIA, S.C. South Carolina disaster survivors with questions about the assistance they received from FEMA or their eligibility determinations have the right to appeal the decision. Those who want to appeal should do so in writing within 60 days of the date of the determination letter.

Guidelines for appeals can be found on page 10 of the Applicant’s Guide, which is sent to everyone who registers with FEMA.

In the appeal letter to FEMA, an applicant should:

  • include full name, address, and date and place of birth;
  • include the last four digits of the applicant’s social security number; 
  • include FEMA registration number and the disaster number, DR-4241, on every page;
  • explain why you disagree with FEMA’s decision;
  • include any supporting documentation for the appeal;
  • include the following statement: “I hereby declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.”;
  • sign the letter.

 

Appeal letters should be mailed to:

FEMA Appeals OfficerNational Processing Service CenterP.O. Box 10055Hyattsville, MD 20782-7055

 

Appeal letters and supporting documents can also be faxed to:

800-827-8112Attn: FEMA Appeals Officer

For disaster recovery center locations, visit: http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm.

 

FEMA recognizes that varying circumstances may prevent an applicant from filing an appeal within the standard 60-day appeal period. However, applicants who miss the 60-day deadline must submit with their appeals an explanation stating why they did not apply by the deadline. Applicants whose appeal letters are submitted outside the 60-day appeal period are not automatically denied a review.

FEMA and the South Carolina Emergency Management Division are committed to providing all eligible assistance to those who were affected by the Oct. 1-23 storms and flooding. Applicants with questions about their eligibility determinations or their assistance can contact FEMA by phone or visit a disaster recovery center to speak with an applicant services specialist.

The last day to register for FEMA assistance is Jan. 4, 2016. Residents can call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362, TTY 800-462-7585, 711/VRS 800-621-3362. Residents may also visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

FEMA is working with its federal, state and local partner agencies as well as private sector and voluntary agencies, and faith-based organizations to reach everyone who qualifies for disaster assistance under the Individuals and Households Program.

 

 

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S.C. Flood Survivors Can Appeal FEMA Aid Determination

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Immediate Threat

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Documentation

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Debris Removal

SAIPAN – FEMA housing inspectors have been assessing damaged homes of applicants who registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for damage sustained in Typhoon Soudelor. Once the inspection process is complete, your case will be reviewed by FEMA and you will receive a letter, or email if you signed up for E-Correspondence, outlining the decision:

  • If you qualify for a FEMA grant, FEMA will send you a check by mail or deposit it directly into your bank account. You will also receive a letter describing how you are to use the money.  You should only use the money given to you as explained in the letter and we suggest that you save receipts on how you spent the money.
  • If you do not qualify for a FEMA grant, you will receive a letter explaining why you were ineligible and will be given clear information on how to appeal the decision*. Your appeal rights will be described in this letter. Appeals must be in writing and mailed within 60 days of FEMA’s decision.
  • If you are referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), you will receive an SBA application from SBA. The application must be completed and returned in order to be considered for a loan or for additional FEMA grant assistance. SBA representatives are available to help you with the application at local Disaster Recovery Center, at Pedro P Tenorio Multi-purpose Center in Susupe.  Normal hours of operation are Monday-Saturdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Completing and returning the loan application does not mean that you must accept the loan.

*An appeal is a written request to review your file again with additional information you provide that may affect the decision.  You may appeal any decision provided by FEMA regarding your Individual Assistance. 

Appeals may relate to your initial eligibility decisions, the amount or type of assistance provided to you, late applications, requests to return money, or a denial of Continued Temporary Housing Assistance.  Prior to requesting an appeal review, you should review your file with a FEMA helpline agent at 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA), or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585, or request a copy of your file from FEMA so you can understand why you received the decision you want to appeal.

Follow these steps to appeal the decision.

  1. Explain in writing why you think the decision about the amount or type of assistance you received is not correct. You, or someone who represents you or your household, should sign the letter and have it notarized.  If the person writing the letter is not a member of your household, there must be a signed statement saying that the person may act for you.
  2. Include the FEMA registration number and disaster number (shown at the top of your decision letter) in your letter of appeal.  You should also include the last four digits of your social security number, your full name, your address, and your date and place of birth.
  3. You may also want to include a copy of a government-issued identification card or include the following statement “I hereby declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct”.
  4. If you have supporting documentation for your appeal, include that in your correspondence to FEMA.
  5. Mail your appeal letter to:

FEMA – Individuals & Households Program
National Processing Service Center
P.O. Box 10055
Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055

or you can fax you appeal letter to:

(800) 827-8112
Attention: FEMA – Individuals & Households Program.

IMPORTANT: To be considered, your appeal letter must be postmarked within 60 days of the date of the decision letter’s date. Remember to date your letters.

  • All appeals are reviewed.
  • Decisions usually are made within 30 days of receiving the request. 
  • Additional information may be requested from you if FEMA does not have enough information to make a decision.
  • You will be notified by mail of the response to your appeal.

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.

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. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (800) 877-8339.

Taken from – 

Next Steps After Receiving a FEMA Determination Letter

Procurement – Reasonable Costs

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Procurement – Reasonable Costs

Those who received a letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency should take note of the date the letter was written. Appeals or submission of missing documents must be made within 60 days of that date.

Disaster survivors may request an appeal to review their cases regarding the amount or type of federal disaster assistance available.

The appeal must be in writing and explain why you disagree with a decision. Attach any new or additional documents supporting the appeal.

Appeal letters for the April 28 through May 5 severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding should also include:

  • Federal disaster declaration number, 4176-DR-AL, on all pages of documents.
  • Applicant information including:
    • The nine-digit FEMA application number on all pages of documents,
    • Applicant’s name,
    • Applicant’s date and place of birth, and
    • Address of the damaged dwelling.
  • Copies of verifiable documentation that supports the appeal. All receipts, bills and estimates must include contact information for the service provider. Keep all originals for your records.
  • A copy of a state-issued identification or driver’s license, unless the letter is notarized or includes the following statement: “I hereby declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.”
  • The applicant’s signature.

Applicants can call the Disaster Legal Services hotline phone number, 888-857-8571. The service is available from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday for free legal help with insurance claims.

In the Huntsville area of Limestone County, call 256-539-2275. Those in Mobile and Baldwin counties can call 855-997-2857.

Mail the appeal letter to:  FEMA National Processing Service Center, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-7055.

Applicants also may fax their appeal letter to: 800-827-8112, Attention: FEMA.   

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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.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

For more information on Alabama’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or http://www.ema.alabama.gov/.  For the joint Facebook page, go to www.facebook.com/AlabamaEMA. To receive Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/AlabamaEMA  or www.twitter.com/femaregion4

 

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Don’t Forget That Date; Appeals Must be Submitted to FEMA Within 60 Days

 

CLINTON, Miss. – Within 60 days of a decision letter from FEMA, Hurricane Isaac survivors in Mississippi can ask the agency to review their case again.

Some of the reasons for an initial determination of ineligibility can be easily remedied with more information such as:                    

  • Calling or writing to FEMA when a final insurance settlement is agreed upon.
  • Indicating a willingness to re-locate to another residence; answering “Yes” to this question indicates flexibility in considering other temporary housing solutions but does not commit an applicant to move.
  • Providing proof of ownership or residence, especially documents showing the damaged property was the primary residence at the time of the disaster.
  • Returning the SBA disaster loan application.
  • Signing essential documents.

Survivors can ask for another review to appeal the amount or type of help provided or any otherdecision about federal disaster assistance. Many issues can be resolved and allow applicants to receive disaster assistance.

When appealing, applicants should explain in writing why they disagree with a decision along withany new or additional documents supporting the appeal.

Appeal letters for Hurricane Isaac also should include:

  • Federal disaster declaration number 4081-DR-MS on all pages of documents
  • Applicant information, including;
    • Nine-digit FEMA application number on all pages of documents
    • Name
    • Date and place of birth
    • Address of the damaged dwelling
  • Copies of verifiable documentation that supports the appeal. All receipts, bills and estimates must include contact information for the service provider. Keep all originals for your records.
  • A copy of a state-issued identification card, unless the letter is notarized or includes the following statement: “I hereby declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.”
  • The applicant’s signature.

Applicants can call the Disaster Legal Services hotline phone number at 877-691-6185 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday for free legal help with insurance claims. They can also call the Mississippi Insurance Department at 800-562-2957.

 

Mail the appeal letter to:

FEMA

National Processing Service Center

P.O. Box 10055

Hyattsville, MD  20782-7055

 

Applicants may fax their appeal letter to:

(800) 827-8112

Attention: FEMA

 

It is important to have appeal letters postmarked within 60 days of the date on the decision letter.

 

If applicants have any questions about the letters, they should call 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585 or go to www.fema.gov/help-after-disaster.

Link:

FEMA Determination Letters Are Not The End Of The Line

BATON ROUGE, La. – Hurricane Isaac survivors who received a letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stating they are ineligible for disaster assistance should remember the letter is the beginning, not the end, of a conversation with FEMA.

FEMA encourages survivors who receive an ineligibility letter to ask any questions they may have or learn how they can initiate the appeal process. Survivors should know that FEMA specialists are available to explain or discuss these determinations.

Applicants can initiate a conversation by calling the FEMA Helpline or by visiting one of the 26 Disaster Recovery Centers open across southeast Louisiana for this disaster. The ineligibility letter also contains information on how to submit requested documentation or file an appeal.

“It’s important that Hurricane Isaac survivors reach out to us if they have specific questions about their cases. We are happy to provide answers for them,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mike Hall of FEMA. “Survivors should follow up with us to understand why they received the notice and to let us take a second look.”

An applicant may be determined ineligible for a variety of reasons, including:

  • Insufficient hurricane-related damage to prevent living in the home
  • Adequate insurance coverage
  • Incorrect or missing contact information
  • Additional personal or insurance information is needed to complete the assistance evaluation process
  • Lapsed flood insurance or noncompliance with flood-insurance requirements from a previous disaster
  • No need or desire to relocate

If the ineligibility is based on the applicant’s decision to remain in the home and these circumstances change, they may contact FEMA to let us know they will relocate and to request rental assistance. Applicants may contact the Helpline within 30 days of the date of the ineligibility letter to notify FEMA of the change. If applicants change their mind after the 30-day deadline, they should put the request for rental assistance in writing.

Applicants who wish to appeal any ineligibility decision should submit a letter explaining in detail why they believe the decision is incorrect. The applicant, or someone who represents the applicant, should sign the letter and include their application number on each page of the letter and on any documentation that is also submitted. If the person writing the letter is not a member of the applicant’s household, the appeal should include a signed statement from the applicant affirming that the person may act on their behalf.

The appeal letter must be postmarked, received by fax or personally submitted at a Disaster Recovery Center within 60 days of the date on the decision letter. Keeping a copy of the appeal letter as a record is encouraged.

 

Appeal letters can be mailed to:

FEMA Individuals & Households Program
National Processing Service Center
P.O. Box 10055
Hyattsville, MD 20782-7055

 

Appeal letters can be faxed to:

1-800-827-8112
ATTN: FEMA Individuals & Households Program

 

Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repair and other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other sources.

Applicants ineligible for FEMA assistance may still be eligible for other programs such as disaster unemployment or help from nonprofit organizations. Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are also available for homeowners, renters, and business owners for losses not fully covered by insurance or other sources.  

Louisianans are encouraged to register online at www.disasterassistance.gov, via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov, or by telephone at 1-800-621-3362 or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services can call 1-800-621-3362. Operators are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click on www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

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 http://twitter.com/#!/femaregion6, the R6 Hurricane Preparedness website at www.fema.gov/about/regions/regionvi/updates.shtm and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

Originally from: 

Ineligibility Letters Start Conversations Between Survivors and FEMA

Disaster Assistance Includes Right of Appeal 

Release Date: March 23, 2012
Release Number: 4058-013

» More Information on Indiana Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes

INDIANAPOLIS —Some Indiana residents who have registered for disaster assistance may have received letters saying their applications are denied. They should know that they have the right to appeal that decision.

Applicants who received denial letters should make sure they understand why they were denied. A denial may be due to various reasons. A visit to the Disaster Recovery Center in Sellersburg or a call to the FEMA Helpline at (800) 621-3362 can help provide a better explanation.

Many find their circumstances have changed from the time they registered for assistance. They may have discovered additional damage to their property, or that they need housing help after all. Displaced renters may find upon returning that their residences are unlivable. Whatever the reason, applicants have the right to appeal a denial within 60 days from the date of the determination letter.

Applicants must explain in writing why they believe the initial FEMA response was wrong and provide new or additional information and documents to support the appeal. They should also include their FEMA registration number and disaster number in the letter, along with their full name and address of the damaged home.

Appeals can be mailed to:

FEMA-Appeals Officer
National Processing Service Center
P.O. Box 1005
Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055

They may also be faxed to: 1-800-827-8112.

A video titled “You can Appeal” provides additional information at www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/6506.

Federal disaster aid was made available on March 9 to the State of Indiana to supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes during the period of Feb. 29 to March 3, 2012 in Clark, Jefferson, Ripley, Scott, Warrick and Washington counties.

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.

Last Modified: Monday, 26-Mar-2012 12:17:17

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Disaster Assistance Includes Right of Appeal