Last week, the provincial government announced new changes to the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP) aimed primarily at helping residents of flood-damaged Yorkton and Maple Creek.
"We listened to what the people had to say and to some of their concerns," Minister of Corrections, Public Safety, and Policing D.F. (Yogi) Huyghebaert told Yorkton This Week. "Most of it was by word of mouth, with our staff and myself 小蓝视频 in places that have been affected."
At the top of the list of changes is the hiring of additional structural engineers and independent claims adjusters to speed up the process of damage assessment. The number of engineering firms providing structural assessments has tripled, going from two to six.
Along with efforts to increase the speed with which claims are processed, another change to the program will see advance payments increased from 40 to 60 percent of the total claim. Advance payments are made available shortly after the approval of an adjuster's report.
Changes to the depreciation formula on certain types of property have also been made.
"What people were telling me when I visited," said Huyghebaert, "was that it's not really fair that we depreciate drywall, for example."
Drywall was previously depreciated at a rate of five per cent per year up to a maximum of 50 per cent.
Under the revised program, depreciation will occur at a rate of up to one per cent per year, with adjusters given the option of recording less or no depreciation at all. The new maximum is 25 per cent.
Other altered depreciation rates affect furnaces (two per cent annually up to a maximum of 35 per cent), water heaters (10 per cent annually up to 50 per cent), and concrete (two per cent annually up to 50 per cent).
As the weather grows colder, the government also says it is placing a priority on getting payments out to residents with damaged furnaces and water heaters. Those who have made claims for these items are asked to contact PDAP with their claim number to ensure that it is flagged as a priority.
Huyghebaert said that residents of Maple Creek will receive their cheques first - within two weeks - but that claims in communities such as Yorkton are already under review.
"I believe these changes are very positive for the people that have been affected, and I also think they're very fair," said the minister. "I know there are going to be people that will say they want more money for it, but we also have to balance what is right and what is fair and what the needs are of the people."
Previous changes to PDAP in recent months included a reduction of the deductible paid by claimants from 20 per cent to five per cent, an increase of maximum assistance for residences from $160,000 to $240,000, and an increase of maximum business assistance from $160,000 to $500,000.
All of the changes are retroactive to April 1, 2010.
So far this year, PDAP has received 3,400 claims, 930 of which are in Yorkton. The total cost is estimated at $7.1 million.
