Individual Assistance Overview

• Individual Assistance is only available to individual U.S. Citizens or qualified immigrants with needs related to a presidentially declared disaster and who cannot cover all disaster-related expenses with existing insurance policies, if any. 
• All forms of assistance available, including insurance policies, should be pursued before applying for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program. Legal Aid Professionals assisting disaster survivors in applying for or appealing decisions of the Program should ensure their client has exhausted all other avenues for financial assistance or reimbursement for recovery expenses. 
• Individual Assistance has two programs within it: Housing Assistance and Other Needs Assistance. 
  • Housing Assistance includes needs related to housing such as temporary shelter, rental assistance, home repair or home replacement. 
  • Other Needs Assistance applies to all types of disaster related needs other than housing such as child care, healthcare, funeral costs, and Disaster Legal Services.

Application Process

This is an overview of the application process for FEMA assistance for an individual.

• Individual Assistance applications must be made within 60 days of the presidential declaration of the disaster. The declaration often comes after the disaster has ended, so make sure you start the clock from the date of the declaration and not the date of the disaster. 
• Applications are available online (https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual), over the phone, or in-person at Disaster Recovery Centers or Mobile Registration Intake Centers in the disaster-affected community. 
• FEMA will contact the applicant within 14 days to follow up on the application or gather more information. Housing inspections are required for Housing Assistance. 
• Application decisions are sent by mail, so make sure the applicant lists a mailing address where they can receive mail in the next 24 days if their mailbox is ruined or the local post office is closed. Go online or contact the local post office or neighboring post offices for updates on mail delivery to the disaster-affected area. 

If the application is denied or does not receive the full assistance needed to cover their disaster-related expenses, the applicant may appeal the decision within 60 days. The appeal must be in writing and mailed or faxed to FEMA.

Additional Resources

• Read the FEMA 101 website from the Legal Aid Disaster Resource Center to learn more about applying for individual assistance. https://www.ladrc.org/fema-101-for-legal-aid-professionals/
• Link to Volunteer Bootcamp Webpage