Avalanche of 116,000 Claims Due to DANA, More Than in a Whole Year for Extraordinary Events

New meeting of the crisis committee to monitor the effects of DANA and new data highlighting the significant damage caused by the disaster. The president of the National Insurance Consortium, José Antonio Fernández, explained this Thursday that the body responsible for managing compensations has received 116,000 claims from affected individuals in just eight days, "equivalent to a year for extraordinary events."

"On some days, we have received as many claims as during the entire process of the Lorca earthquake or the La Palma volcano," Fernández indicated during his appearance after the meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, which also included the three vice presidents and seven ministers of the Executive. For now, the body maintains that it is premature to discuss estimated figures by amount, keeping the global forecast at around 3.5 billion euros.

"The speed of the claims we receive is very significant, but to see the positive side, it means that the affected individuals can access our system," Fernández explained, who also wanted to emphasize that the 7-day period initially set to claim compensation "does not apply in this case."

Of all those claims already submitted, 60% correspond to vehicles and 31% to homes and homeowners' associations. "There is also significant impact in the industrial and civil works sectors compared to other cases," the consortium remarked, which has already doubled the number of experts to 800 and plans to increase the number again next week. For now, those already in place have begun inspecting more than 50,000 cases. "Since yesterday, we are making the first payments, and the pace will increase," Fernández indicated, who wanted to recall the effort to improve coverage and ensure that compensations reach the maximum possible amount.

It should be remembered that the consortium is responsible for the payments, but the coverage is what citizens have contracted with their private insurance, whether for cars, homes, etc.

Meanwhile, the Undersecretary of the Interior, Susana Crisóstomo, highlighted that more than 10,000 agents have already been deployed to the affected areas, estimating that about 118 million euros in proposed aid will be charged to the Interior Ministry's credits. "Our only concern is that the affected municipalities and homes recover normalcy as soon as possible, which can never be the same for those who have lost family members," she indicated.

The Government has already activated a response plan endowed with a total of 10.6 billion euros. In this regard, Crisóstomo recalled that the agreed amounts quadruple those established by the general rule. "For example, in case of death or disability, the aid is set at 72,000 euros, instead of the 18,000 of the general rule. In housing, up to a maximum of 64,480 euros, when until now it was 15,120 euros," she indicated.

The great challenge now is for that aid to reach the victims. Many remember the complaints about the management during another serious crisis like the La Palma volcano, where the Executive's plan took too long to arrive, as the affected individuals denounced at the time.

At this point, the Interior assures that it has made a great effort to eliminate any bureaucratic obstacle. For now, the deadline to submit applications for all aid is extended from one to two months, without distinction. Considering their publication in the BOE, citizens can apply until January 7, 2025.

They can be submitted at any public registry, government delegations, electronically, and, as a novelty, at any post office. It is only necessary to submit the application and the bank data form.

"The administration will rise to the challenge," they indicate from the Interior, recalling the difficulties many affected individuals may encounter having lost all their documentation. According to them, it will be the administration that will be responsible for gathering any necessary information through the interconnection system between administrations.

Additionally, the police have already deployed three mobile offices in the affected areas to process ID cards—and assist the work already being done in police stations—and will expand to another three in Chiva, Paiporta, and Utiel. Similarly, the General Directorate of Traffic will issue an instruction tomorrow to process duplicates of driving licenses, temporary vehicle deregistrations, and also definitive ones, without the need to pay fees.