Disaster Assistance
for victims of natural disasters

FEMA gives money to pay for housing expenses such as temporary housing and housing repairs, as well as essential non-housing expenses related to a disaster. FEMA money does not have to be repaid and is tax-free.

FEMA Housing Needs Assistance includes:

• money for temporary housing
• money to fix a damaged house to make it safe, sanitary, and functional
• money to replace a destroyed house if the house is not covered by insurance
• see FEMA Housing Needs Disaster Assistance on the FEMA web site for details

FEMA Non-Housing Needs Assistance includes money to pay for:

• medical and dental costs resulting from the disaster
• funeral and burial expenses
• clothing, household items, and items needed for a job or for school
• heating fuel, clean-up items, and moving and storage costs
• vehicles destroyed by the disaster
• other necessary expenses resulting from the disaster
• see FEMA Non-Housing Needs Disaster Assistance on the FEMA web site for details

FEMA disaster assistance is for people who have disaster-related losses and expenses that are not fully covered by insurance.

You may be eligible for FEMA assistance if:

• you have expenses or needs that are the result of a disaster
• your losses occurred in a declared disaster area
  For a list of declared disasters in Massachusetts, see Massachusetts Disaster History on the FEMA web site.
• your losses are not covered by insurance, or are greater than your insurance settlement
• you or someone who lives with you is a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
• the house in the disaster area was your primary residence at the time of the disaster (for housing assistance)
• you have accepted all other types of assistance for which you are eligible

For more information, see:

• Do I Qualify for "Housing Needs" Assistance?
• Do I qualify for "Other than Housing Needs" Assistance?

You can apply for FEMA disaster assistance online or by phone:

• Online: DisasterAssistance.gov
• Phone: call 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362)
• TTY: 1-800-462-7585 

You should read What information do I need to apply? on the FEMA web site before you apply.

SBA disaster loans are low-interest loans that must be repaid. The interest rate and repayment terms (up to 30 years) are decided on a case-by-case basis depending on your ability to get credit elsewhere and your ability to repay the loan. 

For SBA Home and Personal Property Disaster Loans:

• you may borrow up to $40,000 to replace personal property such as clothing, vehicles, and furniture
• you may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace your primary residence to its pre-disaster condition
• extra funds may be available for improvements that protect your property against future damage
• the interest rate is usually below market rate
• borrowers who cannot get credit elsewhere get a lower interest rate than borrowers with other credit available
• see SBA Home and Personal Property Loans on the SBA web site for details

SBA Home and Personal Property Loans are for homeowners and renters who have disaster-related losses that are not fully covered by insurance.

You may be eligible for an SBA disaster loan if:

• your real estate and personal property losses occurred in a declared disaster area
  See Current Disaster Declarations on the SBA web site.
• your losses are not covered by insurance, or are greater than your insurance settlement
• you or someone who lives with you is a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
• you have an acceptable credit history
• you have the ability to repay the loan
• you meet the deadlines that apply to your loan type and disaster declaration
• see Fact Sheet About U.S. SBA Disaster Loans for more information

You can apply for SBA disaster loans online, by mail, or in person:

• Online: SBA Disaster Loan Application
• By mail: SBA Disaster Loan Application Paper Form (includes mailing address)
• In person: call the SBA at 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) to locate a Disaster Recovery Center

For Presidential declared disasters, you must register with FEMA by calling 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 1-800-462-7585) before applying for an SBA loan.

Businesses affected by a disaster are also eligible for SBA loans. For SBA business disaster loan information, see SBA Business Physical Disaster Loans and SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

The D-SNAP benefit amount depends on your household size and current SNAP status:

• If you are eligible for D-SNAP, you will get one month of benefits equal to the maximum regular SNAP benefit for your household size. See What amount of food stamps can I get? for dollar amounts.
• If you are already getting SNAP, but you are not getting the maximum allotment for your household size, you may be eligible for a one-month D-SNAP supplement to bring your benefits up to the maximum. You may also be eligible for replacement SNAP benefits if you lost food as a result of a disaster.
• You will get your D-SNAP benefits on an EBT debit card that can be used at food store checkouts to pay for food.

D-SNAP benefits are for households who do not ordinarily qualify for SNAP, but who need food assistance as the result of a disaster. Current SNAP households affected by a disaster may qualify for a D-SNAP supplement.

You may be eligible for D-SNAP food assistance if you are a Massachusetts resident who lived or worked in a declared disaster area and have a financial hardship as a result of the disaster (for example, you lost income or have disaster-related expenses). To qualify, your income cannot be greater than the disaster income eligibility standards set by the USDA. See 2012 Allotments and Eligibility Standards on the USDA web site.

To apply for D-SNAP, you should visit one of the disaster zone offices designated by the DTA. To find an office, call the DTA hotline at 1-800-445-6604. You must provide proof of identity. The DTA will also ask for proof of residency, household size, and income and assets, but if your documents were destroyed in the disaster, you can still be approved for benefits without them.

For more information about Disaster SNAP food stamps, see:

• Disaster SNAP Guidance from the USDA
• Disaster SNAP and Replacement SNAP from MassLegalServices
• 106 CMR 366.600: SNAP Disaster Certification from the DTA

Benefits are calculated in the same way that regular unemployment benefits are calculated. You will get about half of your previous weekly earnings (up to the state maximum) plus a dependency allowance if you have children. (See UI: How much will I get?) If you are self-employed, your benefits will be based on your net self-employment income.

To be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance:

• you must have lost one or more weeks of work as a direct result of a declared disaster, for example, if:
  • your job is gone
  • your workplace was damaged or destroyed
  • you cannot get to your workplace
  • you were injured and cannot work
  • you were supposed to start a job in the area, but now you cannot
  • your business relied on income from the disaster area

  Note: You may also qualify for DUA if you must support your household because the former head of household died as a result of the disaster.

• you must apply for regular unemployment insurance and be found not eligible
• you must be available for work (unless you are injured or self-employed)

To apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, you should file a claim for Unemployment Insurance benefits:

• at a Disaster Center (announced when the disaster is declared)
• at a UI Walk-In Center (see How do I apply in person?)
• or by phone (see How do I apply by phone?)

If you are found not eligible for regular Unemployment Insurance benefits, your application will be processed for Disaster Unemployment Assistance.

For more information about Disaster Unemployment Assistance, see:

• Disaster Unemployment Assistance from the MA Department of Labor and Workforce Development
• Filing for Disaster Unemployment Assistance from the MA Department of Labor and Workforce Development
• Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) from the U.S. Department of Labor