FEMA Individual Assistance Does Not Impact Other Benefits

Accepting FEMA funds will not affect eligibility for Social Security – including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or other federal benefit programs.

Disaster funds help survivors pay for temporary housing, essential home repairs, essential personal property replacement, and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other sources.

FEMA ASSISTANCE DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPAID

FEMA disaster assistance comes in the form of grants, which do not need to be repaid.

FEMA assistance funds can only be used for disaster-related expenses. Your FEMA determination letter will inform you of the types of assistance you are eligible to receive and the amount of assistance provided. Eligible needs may include:

• Repairs to make a home safe, sanitary, and fit to live in.
• Rental assistance to temporarily pay for a place to stay.
• Repair or replacement of a disaster-damaged essential vehicle.
• Medical care for an injury caused by the disaster.
• Replacing clothing, personal property (e.g., TVs, appliances, computers), occupational tools, and educational materials.
• Replacing damaged medical equipment.

FEMA Assistance does not impact benefits

FEMA disaster grants are not considered taxable income. Accepting a FEMA grant will not affect your Social Security benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other federal assistance programs.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR DISASTER EXPENSES

It is important to follow any and all instructions that may come with your FEMA grant funding. You should keep receipts for the February storm-related expenses for three years. Receipts may be needed to verify that the grant was used to meet disaster-related needs.

SUBMIT AN INSURANCE CLAIM

FEMA cannot provide money for expenses covered by insurance or duplicate benefits from another source. However, even if you have insurance, FEMA may be able to help with unmet needs, including uninsured or underinsured losses.

By law, FEMA cannot cover expenses that have already been covered by other sources like insurance, crowdfunding, local or state programs, donations, or financial assistance from voluntary agencies.

If you received funds from other sources, send FEMA documentation showing how those funds were used. If your losses were not covered by these other sources, FEMA assistance may be able to fill the gap. For example, if you have insurance, FEMA may be able to cover uninsured or underinsured losses.

If a private or nonprofit organization tells you that you need to provide them with your FEMA funds or reimburse them for any support they provided, you can report this as fraudulent action to the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline: 1-866-720-5721.

Residents, both homeowners and renters, who sustained losses can apply for assistance in several ways:

• Visiting DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Downloading the FEMA App.
• Calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.
  • Phone lines are open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS) or captioned telephone service, please provide FEMA your number for that service.
• Speaking with someone in person. 
  • Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams will be on the ground in impacted communities, walking door-to-door to share information and help residents apply for FEMA assistance. 
  • In coordination with the West Virginia Emergency Management Division (WVEMD) and officials in impacted counties, FEMA has opened a Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Logan, Mercer, McDowell, Mingo, and Wyoming Counties. At a Disaster Recovery Center, you can get help applying for federal assistance, update your application, and learn about other resources available.

DRCs are open to all, including survivors with mobility issues, impaired vision, and those who are who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

For more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd.wv.gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page, www.fema.gov/disaster/4851 and www.facebook.com/FEMA.