Residents and business owners affected by recent disasters still have time to apply for federal assistance, even if they missed the official deadline.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is now accepting late disaster loan applications beyond the standard 60-day deadline. In an effort to support recovery efforts and ensure no one is left behind due to delays, the SBA has implemented a grace period for those who need additional time to complete their application.
According to the SBA, applications received more than 60 days after the filing deadline may still be accepted if the delay was due to circumstances beyond the applicant’s control. Individuals are encouraged to reach out directly to the SBA’s Customer Service Center to request assistance with late submissions.
Applicants do not need to provide a reason for the delay if they are submitting within 60 days past the deadline—they can still apply online via the MySBA Portal.
To request help or more information about the application process, applicants can:
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Call the SBA Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 7-1-1),
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Email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or
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Visit a local SBA Recovery Center in person.
Though the declaration’s official filing deadline has passed, SBA officials want the public to know that assistance is still available for those continuing to recover.