CNN
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In the midst of two devastating hurricanes, misinformation is circulating about government assistance for disaster survivors.

A key part of FEMA’s aid that was misrepresented by former President Donald Trump and others is a $750 payment that goes to disaster survivors immediately after a hurricane, tornado or other major storm – what was misrepresented as a loan, the only aid provided by FEMA. In fact, this is the first payment FEMA will make to disaster survivors – who will be eligible for other forms of assistance, such as providing emergency shelter and funding recovery once the storm passes.

This is the first hurricane season that the $750 payment plan is in effect, so officials and people in hurricane zones are unfamiliar with it, too.

Top federal emergency management officials, including FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, said they were deeply concerned that the false rumors circulating could deter disaster survivors from even applying.

“I need people to sign up for help,” Criswell told reporters Tuesday. “I worry that they won’t apply for assistance, which means I won’t be able to get them the essentials they need.”

Here’s what you should know about FEMA’s relief programs:

This $750 is called “Serious Needs Assistance.” This is a direct payment in advance to survivors, intended to provide them with money to purchase anything they may need after their home is destroyed. This $750 payment is thanks to a relatively new federal program that was implemented in March of this year.

It can be withdrawn via direct deposit to a bank or preloaded debit card and used to purchase clothing, baby food, food, shelter, or anything else a person may need after a disaster. And contrary to rumors, this money is not a loan; It’s up to the disaster survivors to keep and spend it.

Importantly, these funds represent only the first portion of the assistance individuals are eligible to receive after a storm – not the total amount.

“The $750 is just the beginning of the funding you will receive from FEMA,” agency spokeswoman Jaclyn Rothenberg told CNN. “It’s just the first tranche of funding you’re getting from FEMA. It means you’re in our system.”

According to FEMA, you may receive assistance if you or someone in your household is a U.S. citizen, non-citizen, or qualified non-citizen.

FEMA must confirm your identity before you receive funding, and you must live in your home most of the year. To receive assistance, the agency also requires that your home be in a designated disaster area and that your home was damaged by the disaster (FEMA will confirm this through a review of the documents you sent to them).

Disaster survivors are entitled to a variety of additional resources to help with everything from the cost of temporary housing to medical care, paying for funeral services for their loved ones, and the cost of damaged personal property such as computers and appliances.

The agency also has resources to help people repair or replace damaged homes.

That payment went into effect earlier this year as part of a larger effort to streamline FEMA assistance. The overhaul of the FEMA system came after years of criticism that disaster survivors had to jump through complicated hurdles to get the help they need immediately after a disaster.

FEMA statistics show that more than 1 million households have already received more than $780.7 million in total assistance.

Speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump suggested that the Biden administration would offer a lump sum of $750 to people whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Helene.

“They’re offering them $750 for people whose homes were washed away,” Trump said. “Imagine: We give hundreds of billions of dollars abroad and we give North Carolina $750.”

That’s not true – the $750 is only the first portion of the assistance individuals are entitled to after a storm – not the total amount. Rothenberg also emphasized that the $750 from FEMA was not a loan but could be kept and spent by disaster survivors.

Disaster survivors can apply for assistance at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/.