Saving Receipts May Help Iowans Increase Assistance
Release Date: July 21, 2008
Release Number: 1763-106
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DES MOINES, Iowa Iowans whose personal property was lost or damaged by the current disaster could miss reimbursement grants because, in some cases, receipts may be required, disaster officials said today.
"We may be able to reimburse people for disaster-related purchases," said State Coordinating Officer Pat Hall, of the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division, "but we do have to have the receipts that document expenses that are not apparent when the property is inspected."
There are several disaster assistance grant programs that cover different needs. The Other Needs Assistance (ONA) grants cover disaster-related, necessary expenses and serious needs. The purpose is to help prevent or overcome a disaster-related hardship, injury or adverse condition. In some cases, ONA will only pay a set amount, but in others the full cost could be covered. Receipts will be helpful in this latter case, or if a appeal is made.
Items that may be covered under the ONA grant program include:
- Clean-up items (chainsaws, humidifiers, dehumidifiers)
- Disaster-related medical, dental, funeral or burial expenses
- Tools required for work (not for the self-employed or if provided by employer)
- Educational material (computers, school books, uniforms, supplies)
- Air purifiers (for medical purposes)
- Power generators (for medical purposes, if purchased/rented since May 25)
- Disaster-damaged primary automobile (repair or replacement assistance)
- Moving and storage costs to prevent further damage
The grants for medical, dental expenses, funeral and burial expenses may be open to any applicant, regardless of circumstances. To be considered for the other ONA grants, applicants who are sent an SBA form need to fill out and return it.
"Residents who have not requested reimbursement for these items, or who have not provided the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with receipts may be eligible for this disaster-related assistance," said FEMA's Federal Coordinating Officer Bill Vogel.
Renters and homeowners in the 63 counties designated in the disaster declaration who have registered with FEMA are urged to review their disaster-related purchases since May 25. Lost receipts can often be replaced at the original place of purchase. Additional documentation may be required to show how the items are disaster related.
Residents who have made purchases that are eligible for reimbursement should send copies not the originals along with their name, and their FEMA registration number to:
FEMA Individuals & Households Program
DR -1763- IA
P.O. Box 10055
Hyattsville, MD 20782
Requests for reimbursement also may be faxed to 1-800-827-8112, Attn: FEMA Individuals & Households Program, DR-1763-IA.
Anyone who has not yet registered for assistance should call toll-free, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for those with hearing or speech impairments, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily or register online anytime at www.fema.gov. Registrants should be careful to use the name as it appears on their Social Security card.
Those who have any questions are urged to call the Other Needs Assistance helpline at 1-866-434-4692.
The 63 counties approved for Individual Assistance include: Adams, Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cedar, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Clayton, Clinton, Crawford, Dallas, Davis, Decatur, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Fremont, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Iowa, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Kossuth, Lee, Linn, Louisa, Lucas, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Mills, Mitchell, Monona, Montgomery, Muscatine, Page, Polk, Pottawattamie, Scott, Story, Tama, Union, Van Buren, Wapello, Warren, Washington, Webster, Winneshiek, Worth and Wright.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 23-Jul-2008 12:40:16