The Federal Emergency Management Agency has released over $20.5 million in individual assistance to date but at least some thousands of it may have to be returned.<\/p>\n
FEMA has asked those who \u201cincorrectly received FEMA funds\u201d to return them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen mistakes happen, no matter whether they\u2019re made by the applicant or by FEMA, the law requires that FEMA recover that money,\u201d federal coordinating officer Stephen M. DeBlasio Sr. said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Among those who may have to return the money are CNMI-only transitional workers who somehow got approved for assistance even though they\u2019re not qualified or eligible for aid.<\/p>\n
One of them is Lulu, a 65-year-old resident of San Antonio whose home suffered damage and became jobless after Typhoon Soudelor. She was approved for $2,000 in property and rental assistance and just recently received the check.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they told us before that we aren\u2019t qualified for assistance, that would have been better. Now they approve us and gave us the money but ask us to return it? That\u2019s very disheartening,\u201d Lulu said.<\/p>\n
Lulu lives alone in her apartment and now relies on her friends and acquaintances for help. Although she was able to receive assistance from the American Red Cross, Lulu says it\u2019s just not enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are victims too. Soudelor didn\u2019t come here and decide that it will only affect those who are U.S. citizens. We pay taxes, too. Have compassion for us CW workers,\u201d Lulu added.<\/p>\n
Despite her dismay, Lulu said she will return the money to FEMA.<\/p>\n
Citing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, FEMA earlier clarified that only those who are U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, and qualified aliens are eligible to receive individual federal assistance. Qualified aliens include those who have a child who is a U.S. citizen.<\/p>\n
According to FEMA media relations manager Kurt Pickering, they will try and recover the money given to those who weren\u2019t supposed to receive them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do audits. We audit things to try to make sure that everything is done already,\u201d Pickering said.<\/p>\n
If the assistance money has already been spent, Pickering said that still needs to be repaid.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re trying to get the word out to the people so that they won\u2019t spend it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Pickering said they could set up payment schedules with those who can\u2019t return the money right away.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our legal obligation to recover it if it should not have been given to them in the first place,\u201d Pickering said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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