After disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires, the Federal Emergency Management Agency offers different types of financial assistance. The fastest is what FEMA calls “serious needs assistance,” which is a one-time payment of $770. That money is meant to be used for immediate needs, such as food or other supplies, for people who had to leave their homes.
You can apply for the $770 payment online, at www.disasterassistance.gov. You can also call FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362).
That one-time payment for disaster survivors is a relatively new program, introduced by FEMA a year ago. The program is a grant, not a loan: If you get the $770 from FEMA, you do not need to pay it back.
It’s also important to know that the $770 payment is not the only help that FEMA offers. The agency also offers a range of help through its “individual assistance program,” which pays for things like car damage, medical bills or even funeral costs. That money, which is also a grant (which means you don’t need to repay it) can be as much as $43,600. FEMA also offers grants to help repair damage to your home.
However, those additional assistance programs typically take longer.
Many disaster survivors also seek help through crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe. According to FEMA, getting money from GoFundMe can sometimes make people ineligible for money from FEMA for the same expense. FEMA has more information about that on their website. .
There are other federal disaster assistance programs, including low-interest loans from the Small Business Administration to repair your house, which go beyond the grants that FEMA offers. But your first step should be applying for help from FEMA.
