FEMA Slow To Review Claims Of Underpayment By Sandy Victims
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency's review of Superstorm Sandy flood insurance claims is taking longer than expected.
As WCBS 880's Kelly Waldron reported, fewer than 200 checks have been issued for an average of $15,000.
This, after FEMA announced in March the review of as many as 142,000 claims after homeowners claimed they were shortchanged and allegations of fraud were made against engineers and insurance companies.
The agency expected most reviews would take up to 90 days, but U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand found over half of the 17,078 eligible cases have been waiting longer than that, and one-third have been waiting at least 120 days.
FEMA said it has completed reviewing 1,378 cases and that three out of five reviews revealed the homeowner was underpaid.
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