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44 flood victims qualify for Govt relief, cheques issued by Monday
by The Daily Herald
Posted: Sep 2, 2005 16:16 UTC
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PHILIPSBURG - Some 44 of the roughly 72 flood victims who applied to the Social Welfare Department for relief aid from Government have met the requirements, Social Affairs Commissioner Louie Laveist said Wednesday. Some 28 applicants were turned down.
Efforts are now being made to accelerate the process for qualified applicants to receive cheques to collect the items requested at local businesses by the end of this week or early next week, Laveist told reporters during yesterday’s Executive Council pres briefing.
Ten of the 44 qualified applicants requested assistance with home repairs. Five of the 28 persons who did not qualify were undocumented and the others were turned down because the items requested were not being considered for relief. Items requested by this group included computers, television sets, DVDs, stereo sets, cabinets and carpets. The salaries of some of these applicants were above the NAf. 1,500 per month limit and disqualified them for relief.
Laveist said cheques and lists of the items to be collected would be issued to qualified applicants instead of vouchers. The voucher system is not being used because of concerns expressed by the business community when it was proposed. The cheques will be made out to the businesses and will be for the exact cost of the items to be collected by the flood victims.
Recipients will have to take both the cheques and the letters when collecting their items. “I am taking a hands-on approach on this issue to ensure that this process is completed as soon as possible,” Laveist said.
The Social Affairs Department will issue a notice shortly informing applicants when and where to collect their cheques.
Laveist said the Executive Council would review the circumstances of the applicants who were turned down and determine whether they could still receive assistance.
“The department will send a list of their names for the Executive Council to decide whether (an) exception (will be made) to still help these persons. Some persons may fall above the recommended salary, but may have four or five children or additional expenses, and the Council can still consider them for relief,” he noted.
Laveist had said in an earlier statement that government had set aside NAf. 105,000 for aid for flood victims. He said that each qualifying household could receive a maximum of NAf. 2,000 in relief aid.
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