FEMA money 2008 flooding

[centsgirl]

After the raging Cedar River filled his home with 13 feet of water and ruined most of his things, Justin Van Fleet asked for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to get back on his feet. Money he really needed to start over.

He was broke and living in a FEMA trailer following the 2008 flood, Van Fleet repeatedly submitted paperwork and made countless phone calls arguing his case. After seven months, the agency finally gave him more than $20,000, which he said gave him his life back and allowed him to move into a house again. That would make him feel wonderful again, I am sure he was finally happy again.

Then in March, a letter arrived from the government with a shocking message: He should never have gotten the money. And he had just 30 days to pay it all back. Why would they do this after he lost everything? Makes no sense to me.

The agency is asking Van Fleet and thousands of other Americans who were victims of natural disasters to return more than $22 million in government aid, acknowledging it mistakenly made payments to many people who were ineligible. Well sounds like FEMA's fault they need to forget it now, how can these people come up with that money now?

[moneysense]

That sounds really fishy to me. I mean, the guy lost everything and was living in their trailer and 3 years later they finally send him money and now want it back?

Was this human error? And if so, someone needs to teach these people how to do their jobs so that things like this doesnt happen again.

I cant believe that they made $22M worth of mistakes. Or is this someone that wants to pad their bank accounts? Any more, anything is possible.

[centsgirl]

This ended up on the local news last night they said some people owed it back due to a accounting error, sounds like their fault, I would be fighting it. Others it was over payments, how would you know? Along with human error.