Katrina Victims May Have to Repay Money

[Qikdraw]

Katrina Victims May Have to Repay Money (http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-katrina-collections,0,1584934.story)

Qikdraw

[silverhalide1]

oh my god, i am just speachless

[MoonShadow]

This can be true anytime you receive FEMA monies. You also have to keep receipts of all repairs done with the FEMA money as you can be audited anytime within a three year period. You may even be required to pay some of the monies back.

All of this is stipulated when you apply for FEMA monies.

In this case, FEMA expediters made errors but regardless it is up to those who received the monies and used them to replace, repair, etc, to have their receipts on the ready to show where the money went. If receipts are available I do not think pay-back will be that much but you never know.

[Qikdraw]

People may have to pay back up to $150,000, the average amount will be $35,000. Try and get that back from people who have lost everything.

The error rate is about 4% as well. A very small percentage, and instead of going after the people who made the mistake, they are going to go after the victims. That is just appaling. They should be reviewing the cases that got denied to make sure they were not denied by mistake.

Qikdraw

[Boreas]

Do people who receive such money know about this when they are given the money? Are they allowed some sort of repayment plan that does not cause too much hardship?

[usmc1]

It's early yet, but the back story is emerging: Chapter the First - Retaliation.


Melanie Ehrlich, co-chair of Citizen's Road Home Action Team, which has documented Road Home cases that appear littered with mistakes, said she had no confidence that ICF had correctly calculated overpayments. She charged that the company was more likely using collections as retribution against people who had appealed their award amounts in effort to get the aid they deserved.
"I think they are looking for ways to decrease awards and that's part of dissuading people," she said.

And, my note.....ICF is remaining resoundingly silent on those cases where they've been guilty of underpayment!

Same old, same old. Victimize victims and then blame them for being victims! I suspect this is CYA activity on the part of ICF to divert attention away from the complaints of misfeasance directed at it.

We'll see.

[MoonShadow]

Do people who receive such money know about this when they are given the money? Are they allowed some sort of repayment plan that does not cause too much hardship?

Yes, they are informed what is required and that re-payment MAY be asked. Most times, it is not. When you sign the FEMA form you also know that if you have insurance that there will be contact made regarding co-paying; you also know that you can be audited at any time within a three year period, you also know that if you do have to pay back, they will set it up so you can do so.

[Boreas]

Yes, they are informed what is required and that re-payment MAY be asked. Most times, it is not. When you sign the FEMA form you also know that if you have insurance that there will be contact made regarding co-paying; you also know that you can be audited at any time within a three year period, you also know that if you do have to pay back, they will set it up so you can do so.

Thanks for the information. I THINK that in Canada, similar money given is considered a grant and therefore not something people need to pay back. We often here about government grants or whatever for disasters. When an area has been declared a disaster, people can make claims. It is a variation of an insurance policy. I may look into this. Perhaps some of my fellow Canadian posters might have some information.

It seems absolutely heartless that victims of disasters such as Katrina would be required to pay back. Maybe not just heartless, inconceivable.

[Nude in the North]

"Upon receiving money from Road Home, grantees sign a batch of forms, including one that says they must refund any overpayments."

I sure hope there is also a form where they can apply for Underpayments to be made right.

But rest assured. Someone Made plenty of money on this deal. And I'll bet they never even lived in Louisiana.

[nacktman]

Talk about adding insult to injury!shocked