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PERF Eligibility Criteria Modified
APWU Web News Article #39-06, June 26, 2006
The Postal Employees’ Relief Fund Executive Committee voted June 21 to amend the fund’s eligibility criteria. PERF committee members considered the action necessary to address the more than 1,100 pending applications received from active and retired postal employees in the Gulf states. Almost all are requesting assistance for repairs to damage sustained from hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, and Rita.
The changes in criteria are retroactive to Aug. 28, 2005. They will enable the committee to expedite the review process once applicants provide any outstanding documentation that is required to support their losses. Currently, more than 90 percent of the applications are incomplete, primarily because federal and state relief grants for housing reconstruction have not yet been made. The slow pace of the insurance-company decision-making process also has been a hindrance.
After lengthy discussions, the new criteria were adopted unanimously by the fund’s executive committee, which is still contemplating proposals to change the formula used to determine the sizes of grants.
These proposals are expected to be voted on in the near future — the change may be necessary to avoid depleting the fund if it is to provide relief to all of the applicants requesting assistance from the 2005 hurricanes.
APWU is one of eight postal organizations that comprise PERF.
