PLACES TO TURN FOR ASSISTANCE

So your life has been upended by a disaster. There are plenty of places you can turn for help, but it pays to act as soon as you can. Here are some avenues you can take:

FEDERAL ASSISTANCE

See if you qualify for individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. You could be eligible if your loss is part of a presidentially declared disaster. FEMA can provide grants and low-interest loans to cover uninsured losses, up to certain limits. For more information: www.fema.gov/individual-disaster -assistance

MORTGAGE RELIEF

If you have a mortgage, contact your loan servicer. You can usually get at least a 90-day moratorium on payments, temporary relief from foreclosure activity and other possible assistance.

DON’T DELAY

Contact your insurance agent as soon as possible to start a claim. If you have to move out of your house, most policies will pay for living expenses up to a certain amount of money and time. You can usually get an advance to cover temporary housing, food and other immediate needs.

If you believe your insurance company is not treating you fairly, file a complaint with the California Department of Insurance and consider hiring a public adjuster to represent you. If the treatment is egregious, consider hiring an attorney.

TAX RELIEF

If your home is damaged or destroyed, you may be eligible for property tax relief. File a claim with your county assessor’s office within 12 months. The assessor can reappraise the property in its current condition and potentially refund some taxes. When you rebuild, the value of your property before it was damaged will be restored. Also check with the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board to see if they have extended tax-filing deadlines for disaster victims.

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

If you lose your job as a direct result of a presidentially declared disaster area and are not eligible for regular state unemployment benefits, you could qualify for up to six months of unemployment benefits from a federally funded program called Disaster Unemployment Assistance. For more information: http://bit.ly/ 2A73NCO