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FEMA Extends Deadline To Review Hurricane Sandy Flood Claims

By David Madden

WASHINGTON D.C. (CBS) -- Uncle Sam is giving victims of Hurricane Sandy an extra 30 days to request that their claims for federal assistance be given a second look.

FEMA and HUD agreed to the extension just hours before a Tuesday night deadline to sign up was set to expire.

New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez pushed for the extra time because applicants were frustrated and confused by the bureaucracy the first time around.

"It's good news for Sandy victims," Menendez told KYW Newsradio. "I really hope that people apply and use these last 30 days for whatever hesitancy they had. There are a lot of New Jerseyans that did apply and have seen thousands of dollars come back to them that they deserved in the first place."

More than 12,000 homeowners are currently having their claims reviewed under the new process. Over 100 thousand others have yet to do so.

The feds are also waiving any duplication of benefits stemming from additional insurance awards amounting to less than $20-thousand.

Visit: fema.gov/hurricane-sandy-nfip-claims for more information.

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