"My insurance settlement hasn't come through yet. Can FEMA help me before it comes?
Maybe. If there's a delay in your settlement, more than 30 days from the date you filed your claim, you may apply for assistance from FEMA. You'll need to explain the reason.
You must provide proof that you filed the claim. If you filed online or over the phone, you must provide the claim number, the date you applied, and an estimate of how long it may take to get your settlement.
Any funds you then get from FEMA will be an advance and must be repaid when you get your settlement.
Does disaster assistance have to be repaid?
It depends on the type of assistance you get.
You don’t usually have to repay assistance from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP). But if you tell FEMA there's a delay in your insurance settlement, any money we pay you would be an advance. You must repay this when you get your settlement.
IHP only helps with vital needs. So most disaster help from the federal government is through low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). You must repay those loans.
From FEMA website:
"My insurance settlement hasn't come through yet. Can FEMA help me before it comes?
Maybe. If there's a delay in your settlement, more than 30 days from the date you filed your claim, you may apply for assistance from FEMA. You'll need to explain the reason.
You must provide proof that you filed the claim. If you filed online or over the phone, you must provide the claim number, the date you applied, and an estimate of how long it may take to get your settlement.
Any funds you then get from FEMA will be an advance and must be repaid when you get your settlement.
Does disaster assistance have to be repaid?
It depends on the type of assistance you get.
You don’t usually have to repay assistance from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP). But if you tell FEMA there's a delay in your insurance settlement, any money we pay you would be an advance. You must repay this when you get your settlement.
IHP only helps with vital needs. So most disaster help from the federal government is through low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). You must repay those loans.
https://www.disasterassistance.gov/help/faqs