COLUMBUS, Ohio (AVC News) — Ohio residents who have applied for federal disaster assistance are being encouraged to carefully review letters from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), particularly if their applications are marked as not approved.
FEMA officials say a notice stating that an applicant is not approved does not necessarily mean assistance will be denied. In many cases, applicants may only need to provide additional information or supporting documents for FEMA to continue reviewing their requests.
Decision letters explain an applicant’s status, the amount of assistance FEMA may provide, how the funds can be used and the steps needed to appeal a decision.
Examples of documents applicants may need to provide include proof of insurance coverage, an insurance settlement or denial letter, proof of identity, proof of occupancy, proof of ownership or documentation showing the damaged property was their primary residence at the time of the disaster.
Applicants who disagree with FEMA’s decision or the amount of assistance awarded may submit an appeal letter along with supporting documentation, such as a contractor’s estimate for home repairs.
Appeals must be postmarked within 60 days of the date listed on the FEMA decision letter. An appeal form is included at the end of the letter to help applicants provide the information FEMA needs.
Appeal letters and supporting documents can be uploaded through an applicant’s account at DisasterAssistance.gov. Documents may also be submitted in person at a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center, by mail to FEMA National Processing Service Center, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-7055, or by fax at 800-827-8112, attention FEMA.
Information about understanding FEMA decision letters is available at FEMA.gov/letter. Additional appeal information is available at FEMA.gov/appeal.
Applicants can also check the status of their assistance requests through the online tracker at DisasterAssistance.gov. After signing in, applicants can select the “Status” tab to review updates and determine whether additional steps are needed.
For assistance, residents can contact the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. People who use relay services, including Video Relay Service or captioned telephone service, should provide FEMA with their relay service number when applying.
