Applying for FEMA disaster assistance

FEMA's help for households opens only after a major disaster declaration. The President makes the declaration, at the request of the state's governor. It may include individual assistance when a disaster has damaged many homes.

The Individuals and Households Program covers necessary expenses and serious needs that insurance doesn't, or doesn't fully. It isn't a substitute for insurance, and it can't cover every loss a disaster causes.

What the program can pay for

• Temporary housing, such as rental assistance or reimbursement for a hotel
• Repairs to, or replacement of, an owner-occupied primary home, including a privately owned road or bridge to it
• A temporary housing unit, where rental assistance isn't available
• Hazard mitigation funds that help a homeowner rebuild stronger
• Other uninsured or under-insured disaster expenses and serious needs

Assistance can't pay for the same need that another program or your insurance already covers, so the insurance claim comes first.

Before you apply

Take photos of the damage, make a list of what was damaged, and file a claim with your insurance company. Keep the receipts for anything you buy to clean up or stay somewhere else.

Have these ready, with a pen and paper:

• A Social Security number for you, another adult or a minor child in the householdFEMA decides eligibility from your application.
• The kinds of insurance you carry
• A description of the damageInclude the type of disaster and whether the damage is to a house, an apartment or a vehicle.
• The household's total yearly income before taxes, at the time of the disaster
• The address of the damaged property, and where FEMA can reach you nowThat means a current address, a phone number and an email address.
• Your bank's name, the account type, and the routing and account numbersDirect deposit is optional.

How to apply

Apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, by phone through the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362, or in person. The Helpline is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. in your time zone, seven days a week, and longer when demand is high. If you use a video relay service or a captioned telephone, give FEMA that service's number.

After you apply

FEMA may confirm the damage with an inspection, at the house or remotely. Inspectors are trained to identify disaster damage, but they don't decide eligibility. If the house can't be reached, an inspector may meet you somewhere else. Start cleaning up as soon as it's safe, without waiting for the inspection, and keep the list of losses, the photos and the receipts.

The application's status can change several times. Check it by signing in at DisasterAssistance.gov, where you can also upload documents. A status that reads "has not been approved" comes with a letter giving the reasons, and often FEMA needs only more information or a correction. Documents can be uploaded, mailed, faxed or dropped off at a Disaster Recovery Center. Mail copies and keep the originals.

Telling FEMA from someone posing as FEMA

Scammers and identity thieves often target people after a disaster. FEMA never charges for an inspection, and no federal agency charges for disaster assistance or for help filling out an application.

• A FEMA inspector wears an official government badge. Ask to see it.
• Your nine-digit registration number is already in FEMA's records, so a real inspector won't ask for it.
• Bank details are never part of an inspection.
• A visit for an application you didn't make may mean someone used your name and Social Security number. Tell the inspector you didn't apply.
• If a FEMA letter arrives for an application you didn't make, call the Helpline.

An annotated example

What to do next

Write down the registration number and the date you applied, and keep a copy of everything you send. Documenting damage for a home insurance claim covers the photos and lists, and Charity scams after a disaster, and how to check before you give covers the other frauds that follow a storm.