Individual Assistance

Individual assistance (IA) generally is used to assist homeowners with serious unmet needs. Registering with FEMA does not guarantee assistance; however any questions can be directed to FEMA. FEMA can also inform applicants of resources that other federal programs can offer. Each claim is evaluated separately and FEMA makes the final determination whether an applicant is eligible for federal assistance. After Hurricane Sandy, two counties were approved for IA: Newport and Washington counties. The deadline to register with FEMA was February 13, 2013.

There are three ways to register with FEMA:

• Visit www.disasterassistance.gov
• Use a smartphone at m.fema.gov
• Call (800) 621-3362 | TTY (800) 462-7585

Anyone who is registering should have the following information ready and available:

• Current and pre-disaster address
• Current phone number
• Social Security number (FEMA does verify name and Social Security number.)
• Insurance information (agency name, policy number, actual policy if possible)
• Total household annual income
• Description of losses caused by Hurricane Sandy
• Bank account and routing number (for direct deposit of assistance funds)

At the end of the registration process, you will be given a claim number. Keep your claim number handy. You will need your claim number for any future inquiries you make.