A sign set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency outside of the disaster recovery center in Whiteland. The center opened to help victims of the March 31-April 1 storms and tornadoes, where people can apply for help from FEMA and the Small Business Administration.
Daily Journal File Photo
Officials are now detailing how to appeal an ineligibility letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
If residents receive a letter from FEMA that says they are ineligible for assistance, they have the option to appeal. “Ineligible” does not mean denied, it means that FEMA has not received everything needed to approve their application, according to a FEMA news release.
Residents should first read their letter carefully to determine why their application was ruled ineligible. Some of the most common reasons are:
- Damage was covered by insurance: FEMA can’t pay for damage covered by another source.
- Damage did not make the home unsafe to live in: FEMA can only cover the cost of making a home habitable, not repairing or replacing non-essential items.
- Missing documents. Make sure your application includes copies of insurance documents, proof of identity documents, proof of occupancy (homeowners and renters) and proof of ownership (homeowners only).
To submit an appeal, residents should do the following within 60 days of the date of the ineligibility letter:
- Gather any information or documents requested in the ineligibility letter.
- Write a letter that explains the reasons for your appeal. The applicant’s full name and signature, pre-disaster address, current address and current phone number should be included, along with the FEMA disaster number — “FEMA DR-4704-IN” — the date of the appeal being sent and the nine-digit application number on all documents submitted.
- Mail the letter, all supporting documents, and the cover page from FEMA’s ineligibility letter to the FEMA National Processing Service Center, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-7055. It can also be faxed to 800-827-8112 (Attention: FEMA) or visit DisasterAssistance.gov, click on “APPLY ONLINE,” and follow the directions in English or Spanish.
Once FEMA receives the appeal, they may contact residents by phone or mail to ask for more information or schedule another inspection of their home. Residents will receive a decision letter within 90 days, FEMA says.
For help with any step of the appeal process, residents should call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362, TDY 800-462-7585, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or use the FEMA App. If using a relay service, residents should give FEMA the number for that service.
