FEMA Assistance Won’t Affect Social Security, Other Federal Benefits Georgians May Receive

ATLANTA – Applying for federal disaster assistance from FEMA will not affect other federal benefits that Georgia survivors of Hurricane Helene or Tropical Storm Debby, damage Aug. 4--20, 2024, may receive.

Residents in Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Fulton, Glascock, Glynn, Hancock, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, McDuffie, McIntosh, Montgomery, Newton, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne and Wheeler counties who register for disaster assistance with FEMA may have questions about whether  funds from FEMA might cause them to lose other federal payments to which they are entitled.

Accepting a FEMA grant will not affect your eligibility for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and other federal welfare and entitlement programs. In addition, any assistance you receive from FEMA is not considered taxable income. 

Disaster grants help you pay for temporary housing, essential home repairs, essential personal property replacement and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by your insurance or other sources.

• “Housing Assistance” covers repairs to the structural parts of your primary residence. This includes windows, doors, floors, walls, ceilings, cabinets, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems (HVACs), utilities (electrical, plumbing and gas systems), and entrance/exit ways. FEMA may also reimburse you for repairing or replacing your furnace, well and septic system.
• “Other Needs Assistance” may reimburse both homeowners and renters for uninsured or underinsured out-of-pocket expenses related to Tropical Storm Debby or Hurricane Helene, such as:
• Medical and dental expenses; funeral and burial costs; cleaning, or replacement of clothing, household furniture and appliances; specialized tools used for your occupation; childcare, educational materials, moving, storage and other necessary expenses related to the storms.
• Your personally-owned and registered disaster-damaged cars and trucks may also be eligible for repair or replacement by FEMA.

The first step to see if you are eligible for any of FEMA’s Individual Assistance programs is to apply: 

• Apply at DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Visit a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center. To find your nearest Disaster Recovery Center, visit fema.gov/drc.
• Call FEMA at 800-621-3362. Multilingual operators are available. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service.
• Download and use the FEMA app.

FEMA programs are accessible to people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.

To view an accessible video on how to apply, visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube.

Homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofit organizations can apply for long-term, low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance and other sources. Apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the SBA’s secure website at sba.gov/disaster.

For the latest information about Georgia’s recovery, visit fema.gov/helene/georgia and fema.gov/disaster/4821. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or follow FEMA on social media at: FEMA Blog on fema.gov, @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol on X, FEMA or FEMA Espanol on Facebook, @FEMA on Instagram, and via FEMA YouTube channel. Also, follow Administrator Deanne Criswell on Twitter @FEMA_Deanne.