FEMA Individual Assistance

What it means

Individual Assistance is FEMA’s help for people and households, as opposed to aid for state and local governments. The main program is the Individuals and Households Program (IHP), which is available only when a disaster has been declared for Individual Assistance.

FEMA describes two kinds of help. Housing assistance can cover temporary housing, such as rental assistance or hotel reimbursement, and repair or replacement of an owner-occupied primary home. Other needs assistance can cover personal property, vehicles, moving and storage, medical, dental, child care and funeral costs, among others.

Why it matters to your claim or your bill

FEMA aid is not insurance and is not meant to make you whole. FEMA says it “cannot provide assistance for losses that are covered by insurance,” and that IHP is meant to meet basic needs and supplement other recovery efforts. File with your insurer first and keep the decision letters, since FEMA may ask for them. Many survivors are also referred to the SBA’s low-interest disaster loans. Our page on FEMA assistance explains who qualifies and why applications are denied.