Some people who received checks from the Federal emergency Management Agency for losses and damages from Gita are facing difficulty cashing their checks.
This is because the checks are issued in the names of their children who were born in American Samoa and not the parents who are non us nationals or citizens.
FEMA publicized in earlier interviews that no federal assistance can be given to homeowners or renters who suffered damages from Gita, if they are not US nationals or citizens.
This also applies to permanent alien residents.
But if they have children under 18 who are living in the destroyed or damaged homes, they are eligible for assistance.
What is happening is that some FEMA checks are being issued in the names of minors and when the parents try to cash the checks, they aren’t able to do so.
Another reason for the banks not cashing FEMA checks is because the recipient doesn’t have a bank account.
KHJ News sent questions to both ANZ and Bank of Hawaii but there’s been no response.
Check recipients have turned to retail stores to cash their FEMA checks but there’s a rule prohibiting the cashing of any check over $1,000.
