New Brunswick confirms errors were made in registering flood-impacted residents for inspections

Officials from New Brunswick’s Emergency Measures Organization have confirmed dozens of claimants who registered for Financial Disaster Assistance after this spring’s historic flooding did not get an inspection because of an error.

Following reports from Maugerville residents to Global News that they waited almost a month for an inspection to be completed on their homes, Department of Justice and Public Safety spokesperson Geoffrey Downey confirmed that 120 people who registered for assistance on May 11 were not transferred to a list that would allow them to move forward with the inspection.

READ MORE: Maugerville resident frustrated with flood financial assistance process

“On May 31, 120 claimants were identified who had registered for assistance and been sent application packages, but whose names were not loaded into an inspection database,” Downey said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "On May 31, 120 claimants were identified who had registered for assistance and been sent application packages, but whose names were not loaded into an inspection database," Downey said.

He said the error only affected people who registered on May 11.

“All claimants were contacted and of these 120, 91 properties were completed by Monday, June 11. The remainder are being scheduled if the claimants request an inspection,” Downey said.

Maugerville resident Bonny Harvey told Global News on Saturday she registered on May 11. When she hadn’t been contacted by an inspector for a while, she called the province on June 2. They told her they could tell she had registered, but she was never moved to the inspection list.

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WATCH: Costly and exhausting cleanup starts in flooded areas of New Brunswick

2:08 Costly and exhausting cleanup starts in flooded areas of New Brunswick

Harvey said she never received a call telling her there had been an error.

Harvey also expressed concerns over deadlines on when flood relief paperwork had to be filed.

In Downey’s response Tuesday evening, he said there is “no deadline for submitting DFA application forms.”

“The public will be advised at least two weeks before any deadline,” Downey said,

Downey said as of Tuesday, 2,781 people have registered damages and 2,078 inspections have been completed.

“Only 118 inspections remain and all are expected to be completed by Monday, June 18. The 585 other claimants have chosen not to have an inspection completed,” Downey said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Only 118 inspections remain and all are expected to be completed by Monday, June 18. The 585 other claimants have chosen not to have an inspection completed," Downey said.

When it comes to deductibles, Downey said the provincial government has waived the deductible on debris cleanup claims for homeowners and recreational property owners. However, he said other claims under the Disaster Financial Assistance program unrelated to debris cleanup, for activities such as structure restoration, are still subject to a deductible of $1,000.

WATCH: Entire cottages being hauled away as flood cleanup continues

1:56 Entire cottages being hauled away as flood cleanup continues

He said that is deducted from the payment when made, and not paid by the individual.

“This deductible will be waived for Social Development clients, low-income individuals, and individuals facing difficult financial circumstances,” Downey said.

Global News is waiting for more information from the province on how the error occurred and when phone calls were made to inform residents of the error.