When FEMA denies your claim, it's not the last word
There are many of reasons your first application for assistance may have been denied, with the most common reason being that an adjuster with a property owner’s insurance company hasn’t finished assessing what the policy will and will not cover. FEMA assistance isn't designed to duplicate what your private insurance will cover. It only makes up the difference between what your insurance covers and your actual losses. Other common reasons for denial include that the application may not be complete or have incorrect information, including a wrong address or a transposed digit in some key piece of information such as your Social Security number.
So while thousands of people have received initial $700 payments through the Critical Needs Assistance Program – either via check or direct-deposit – about 400 individuals have received notice that they would get paid without actually receiving funds, or had money initially deposited and then withdrawn.
Those cases are a result of missing or incorrect information.
There are several ways to contact FEMA for information about why your claim has been denied or to set up an appeal, including calling their assistance hot line at 1-800-621-3362, use the agency’s app or the disasterassistance.gov website to register for assistance and appeal decisions, or stop by in person at a nearby Disaster Recovery Center.
Three Disaster Recovery Centers open in SWFL
There are three such centers in our area. The Collier County center is at 1895 Veteran's Park Dr. in Naples, and it's open 7 days a week from 9:00 to 6:00. There are two centers in Lee County at 15290 Bass Road and 2295 Victoria Ave., both in Fort Myers and both open 7 days a week from 8:00 to 7:00.
Find the closest recovery center, and bring the denial letter to submit an appeal. The FEMA representative will become your advocate for you claim and will assist you throughout the process.
The Disaster Recovery Centers also have representatives from the Small Business Administration, state agencies, nonprofits and faith-based agencies that may be able to offer assistance.
To apply for FEMA assistance you'll need your Social Security number, the name of your insurance company or insurance agent, and proof of residence. Statewide, about $1.4 billion in federal assistance is budgeted for FEMA relief, the Small Business Administration and the National Flood Insurance program. Of that, $642 million in Florida has come from the Individual and Household Program.
The initial FEMA denial letter is not the last word, so follow up if you're denied with an appeal.
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