Fire victims can get aid from the feds. How to apply for FEMA and avoid potential scams

As wildfires continue to scorch homes across Los Angeles County, thousands of residents are left to sift through the remains and answer a key question: what now?

A chance to rebuild, to start anew could be possible. Homeowners and renters who do not have insurance, or whose insurance policies don’t cover basic needs, may be eligible to receive assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Federal funding to aid fire victims within the county was made possible through President Biden’s approval of the Major Disaster Declaration last week. The agency is offering to help break down the application process and screen fraudulent activity.

How does FEMA work?

FEMA coordinates with state, local, tribal and territorial governments to assist individuals and businesses during natural disaster events.

The agency provides grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and low-cost loans to uninsured property losses, according to a White House news release. Some forms of assistance include disaster relief, food, housing, insurance, living assistance, loans and mental health counseling.

FEMA’s website allows individuals to search for specific aid through filter options.

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What are the financial housing assistance options?

The Individuals and Households Program (IHP) provides qualifying residents with financial help with disaster-caused housing needs, according to FEMA. Options for financial housing assistance include:

• Rental assistance — help to rent short-term housing.
• Lodging expense reimbursement — reimbursement for emergency stays at short-term lodging.
• Home repair assistance — funding to repair access routes to your home – like driveways, roads or bridges.
• Home replacement assistance — money to replace the primary home you own and live in.

How to apply for assistance?

To apply for aid, visit Disasterassistance.gov and click “apply now.” The website will ask for your zip code or state, county and city. Once you input that information, options of disasters will appear. Click the option that applies to you and select next.

The next pages will ask questions about your needs to determine possible assistance with home repairs, temporary housing or property damage to appliances, furniture, and vehicles. Individuals may qualify for help with child care, medical, lodging, moving, and funeral expenses.

Individuals who experienced a business loss, property damage and economic loss, may qualify for assistance via the U.S. Small Business Administration, or other agencies listed on FEMA’s website.

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After applying for assistance, what are the next steps?

Once you apply for assistance, the request is placed under review. An inspection may be required to verify disaster-related damages to your home and personal property.

Inspections can only be conducted when the homeowner, co-applicant or renter is present. Other people can be designated to meet the FEMA inspector, but you must provide the agency with a written copy of this designation. If the home cannot be accessed, individuals may meet the inspector in a neutral location.

Prior to an inspection, FEMA suggests individuals do the following:

• File an insurance claim if insured
• If safe, begin to clean up the home
• Take photos of damages
• Make a list of losses
• Keep receipts to verify expenses caused by the fire

FEMA staff and inspectors may call several times over the course of a few days from an unknown or restricted phone number. During a call with an inspector, note down:

• The inspector’s name
• Date of call
• Date and time of inspection
• Inspector’s phone number

To verify the legitimacy of an inspector, you can call FEMA’s Helpline at 1-800-621-3362 between 7 and 11 a.m. with questions about your inspector or any documentation they requested. If FEMA can’t contact you to verify your property damages, your application will stop moving forward.

What to know about the inspection process

Once an inspection is scheduled, applicants must have the following information ready:

• Photo identification
• One proof of ownership or occupancy
• List of household occupants living in the home at the time of disaster
• A list of all disaster-caused damage to property
• Insurance policy and any additional documents requested by the inspector

Documents to prove ownership or occupancy can be uploaded with your application online. For individuals who cannot provide required documents, FEMA may accept a written self-declarative statement as a last resort. The statement must include:

• The address of the disaster-damaged residence
• Length of time you lived in the disaster-damaged home, as your primary residence, prior to the presidential disaster declaration
• Your or your co-applicant’s name and signature

Written statement prompts can be found on FEMA’s website.

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Beware of scams, possible GoFundMe fraud

Applicants must beware of possible fraudulent activity during this disaster. Legitimate FEMA inspectors will always wear an official government badge to identify themselves. You may ask the person to show their identification.
Inspectors will never:

• Climb roofs
• Enter crawl spaces
• Ask for money, banking information
• Ask for your nine-digit registration number — which is included in their records

The inspection process is free.

To avoid fraudulent building contractors, FEMA recommends that you use licensed or verified local contractors who will detail the job done with guarantees in writing. The agency recommends not paying more than half the costs of repairs up front.

Potential con artists may attempt to apply for FEMA assistance using your name, home address and Social Security number. If you suspect someone is using your identity to apply for FEMA assistance, you should notify the inspector, or call the FEMA Hotline.

You can report a possible FEMA fraud by emailing [email protected] or calling 866-223-0814.

Individuals affected by the fires who may have received donations via a GoFundMe page could possibly be disqualified for FEMA assistance. FEMA is not allowed to duplicate benefits received from other sources, the agency said.

“For example, if you receive donations to clean up storm damage to your home, FEMA may not be able to also grant you financial assistance for home clean up,” the agency said on its website. “We encourage all survivors to apply for assistance regardless so we can review your specific case.”

Individuals may also be susceptible to GoFundMe scams. The online fundraising company recommends donors and recipients look for the following:

• Verify the website is securely encrypted — look for a gray lock icon
• Be cautious of suspicious emails and texts – donation will not be received this way
• Don’t share personal information – avoid including your address, phone number or banking information in the fundraising description
• Confirm beneficiary email addresses

GoFundMe allows individuals to report a fundraiser, submit a beneficiary request if you are owed money, or submit a donor claim if you wish to retract your donation.