Exact Answer: About 10 to 14 days
Disasters are always unpredictable. Their consequences can be very severe. In such cases, financial aid is always essential but hardly ever available. Even for other essential matters, financial resources are not always as easily available as people think. In such cases, certain methods can help.
A safe, secure, and certified way to ensure that the losses are covered and restored to as great an extent as possible. FEMA or the Federal Emergency Management Agency is one such method that is very safe and reliable and also very helpful. Everything is done and handled in a professional manner and in a proper legit way.
How Long Does It Take FEMA to Direct Deposit?
FEMA stands for Federal Emergency Management Agency. When a disaster strikes an area and it is declared presidentially, FEMA inspects these areas and the damages caused to life and properties and tries to compensate them as much as possible and as much is necessary.
In case of disaster assistance, two primary Federal programs offer assistance. These include FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The first one provides funds and services directly to people who have been affected by a major disaster. The second one provides low-interest loans to damages done to properties of different businesses. While this is a loan and partial temporary help, in the case of FEMA, the receivers do not need to return the money and the government takes full responsibility for it.
To obtain financial help from FEMA however, it is essential to meet the requirements of the agency. This criterion is fulfilled by the submission of a form followed by an inspection of the damage and the legitimacy of the claims, which can then pave the way to financial assistance. The process takes place in two phases.
Inspection
After the application is submitted, within 10 days an inspector conducts an inspection to assess the damage and verify the legitimacy of the claims.
Approval
Once the inspection is conducted, within the next 10 days if it meets the approval the funds are transferred with 3 to 4 days.
| Process | Time |
| Inspection | 10 to 14 days |
| Approval and transfer | Next 10 to 14 days |
Why Does FEMA Take So Long to Direct Deposit?
Disasters are very destructive, not to the physical property and materials but also to the inner working system of an area or State. It can be very hard to deal with. Many different organizations and agencies come forward in these times to handle the whole thing as smoothly as possible and try to help the people who have been affected by it. But due to the sheer expanse and intensity of the effects as well as the large number of people applying it takes much more time than expected.
FEMA is an agency that tends to provide financial support to the people and businesses affected by disasters, once an area is declared so by the President. It is only one part of the financial help plan. It deals specifically with the financial aid of people and personal properties affected by disasters, while there is another entirely different organization that gives low-interest loans to businesses. Unlike these loans, FEMA financial aid once received does not have to be paid back.
This is one of the reasons it takes so long for FEMA to direct deposit. It is only applicable to cases where there has been no insurance of any kind. Once the application is submitted an inspection is conducted by FEMA to assess the damage and check on the legitimacy so that the money can be used for the rightful cause and not just wasted. Once the inspector is satisfied and the application is approved, a direct deposit is made as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Disaster management is a cautious and risky affair. It needs to be managed as carefully and cautiously as possible. Many agencies and organizations are working towards accomplishing this goal. Some of them are parts of government plans while others are NGOs.
FEMA is one such governmental agencies that help people who have been majorly affected by disasters and have suffered damages to their life and personal property. FEMA conducts an inspection and once the requirements are met and the application is approved, it makes a direct deposit to the owner as soon as possible. This deposit may take up to 10 to 14 days.