Superstorm Sandy Claims Review Process
Update: The deadline for FEMA's Sandy Claims Review Process has been extended to October 15, 2015.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced that any additional flood insurance proceeds up to $20,000 will not be treated as a duplicative with any awards funded through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR), such as through New Jersey's Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation, and Mitigation (RREM) Program.
NFIP policyholders who receive more than $20,000 in additional flood insurance proceeds will still have the opportunity to demonstrate that the additional payments address legitimate unmet needs and are therefore not duplicative.
Policyholders who wish to have their claim reviewed may begin the process—even prior to receiving a letter—by:
• calling the Sandy Claims Review Center at 1-866-337-4262 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT, Monday through Friday; or
• submitting a Request for Review via email, fax, or regular mail.
When contacting the Sandy Claims Review Center, FEMA requests that policyholders have ready the following information:
• flood insurance carrier name;
• policy number at date of loss;
• date of loss;
• address of property that was damaged; and
• current mailing address and telephone number.
Each policyholder requesting a review will be assigned a specially-trained NFIP adjuster who will serve as their caseworker throughout the process. The caseworker will obtain the policyholder’s case file from the insurance company and conduct a preliminary review. The caseworker will walk the policyholder through the entire process and accept any new information that could assist in the determination of whether an underpayment occurred. Any necessary site visits or engineering surveys will be funded by FEMA.
At the conclusion of the review, the caseworker will present the policyholder with a recommendation. The policyholder may either accept the recommendation and proceed to payment or opt for a professional, neutral third-party dispute resolution. FEMA will give “substantial weight” to the third-party neutral’s recommendation before issuing a final decision and notifying the policyholder in writing.
If an additional payment is recommended, the policyholder will sign and submit a Proof of Loss statement. FEMA will direct the policyholder’s insurance company to process the payment. FEMA will coordinate with the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and their state or local grantees about any potential duplication of benefits.
For additional resources, please visit the links below, and please do not hesitate to reach out to my office for assistance.
• FEMA’s Sandy NFIP Claims Review Homepage
• Sandy Claims Review Process: 6-Step Outline
• How the Claims Review Process Works
• What is Covered (and Not Covered)
• FAQs on Claims Review Process
• Sample Letter to NFIP Policyholders
• Request for Review of Sandy File
• Document Checklist
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