Where to turn for financial assistance

After a major disaster, you may qualify for tax relief, unemployment insurance, federal grants and lowinterest loans, but it helps to act quickly. Here’s where to turn:

File a claim: 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. Some firms will give a percentage of your content coverage before you submit an inventory. 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.

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

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

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 taxfiling deadlines for disaster victims.

If your loss was caused by a federally declared disaster, you may be eligible to deduct casualty losses that exceed 10% of your adjusted gross income on your federal return, if you itemize deductions.

Unemployment benefits: If you lose your job as a direct result of a federally declared disaster 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.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle 2020 Gerry Iuliano looks through the ruins of his winery after the LNU Lightning Complex in Vacaville in August 2020.