Relief Checks Mailed to Quake Victims

SACRAMENTO — The first relief checks were mailed Wednesday to victims of the Oct. 1 earthquake in Southern California, the state reported.

The checks were mailed under the Individual and Family Grant Program created by the Congress to provide relief of last resort. The funds, provided by the federal government and administered by the state, do not have to be repaid.

Linda McMahon, state Department of Social Services director, said grant applicants can expect checks 10 to 15 days after the dates printed on their notices.

An individual or family may be granted up to $5,000.

The program covers necessary expenses and unmet needs, including medical expenses but not personal property, such as stereos.

The recipients must not be eligible for low-interest U.S. Small Business Administration loans.

They also must have losses not covered by insurance or were underinsured and have remaining unmet needs. They may not have received duplicate assistance from any other source.

Applicants are also eligible if they have “serious unmet needs which exceed government loan maximums and charitable or private donations,” the report said.