FEMA To Demand That Hurricane Katrina Victims Return Aid Money

Source: Huffingtonpost.com

Nearly six years have passed since Hurricane Katrina drowned New Orleans in misery, but many residents haven't forgiven the Federal Emergency Management Agency for its sluggish response to the storm. Now another delayed reaction by FEMA – a stop-and-start push to recoup millions of dollars in disaster aid – is reminding storm victims why they often cursed the agency's name.

As a new hurricane season begins Wednesday, FEMA is working to determine how much money it overpaid or mistakenly awarded to victims of the destructive 2005 hurricane season. The agency is reviewing more than $600 million given to roughly 154,000 victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma and is poised to demand that some return money.

FEMA already has sent letters to thousands of victims of other disasters, asking them to return more than $22 million. Letters to victims of the 2005 hurricanes could go out in a matter of months, but it's too soon to tell how many people will be told to repay or how much money is at stake.

The effort isn't sitting well with victims who spent the money years ago and who could need help again if another powerful storm hits. It's of little consolation that FEMA says procedural changes since 2005 mean future disaster victims aren't likely to have to deal with large recalls of cash.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/01/fema-to-demand-that-hurri_n_869584.html

For those recipients whom can be deemed to have committed fraud- I hope the government comes for you. But the rest? What a disgrace. It's FEMA's fuckup, not theirs.

PB

disasters and then become predatory.

Where have I seen/heard that model before?

Since many of those victims may be still struggling in the aftermath, it would be more appropriate to forgive the over payments and move on.

Hell, we can subsidize everything for the wealthy, to the tune of billions and billions, but our system picks the bones of the have not's carcasses every chance that it gets. That's an extremely troubling trend.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11326973/ns/us_news-katrina_the_long_road_back/t/audits-millions-dollars-katrina-aid-wasted/

The two audits found that up to 900,000 of the 2.5 million applicants who received aid under FEMA’s emergency cash assistance program — which included the $2,000 debit cards given to evacuees — were based on duplicate or invalid Social Security numbers, or false addresses and names. The GAO audit was first reported by NBC News last Friday.

They are therefore under grace and not under (the) law.

In the past, however, the organization didn’t get it right. Lax requirements for dispensing aid after Hurricane Katrina caused thousands to think they deserved cash from FEMA, when they didn’t.

The errors, according to the agency, were not due to fraud. During the disasters of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, FEMA did not fully verify disaster victims’ information before rewarding aid, one of several factors leading to the wrongful distribution.

The result?

Nearly 14 percent of the aid handed out during 2005 shouldn’t have been.



Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/05/26/fema-asking-hurricane-victims-for-22-million-back/#ixzz1O2Tlnz9H

receive $2000, I'd call it cheating. And FEMA admits to not verifying those things.

Only house on the block that even has it.

they are assholes (i met some fema peeps when they were here after a hurricane one year - huge assholes, very cocky - all seemed republican) and their trailers were fermaldahide laced disasters. fuck fema - i wouldn't give them a dime!

Remember this if anyone ever says, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you."

:shrug:

-Hoot

I can believe this was planed on purpose during the bu$h administration to do exactly what is happening to these people now to further keep them in poverty. It fits.

Never forget who RUiNs America.