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“There is a public misconception that everybody was covered and taken care of by government funding, and that’s not the case. In most cases, what people have been receiving is pennies on the dollar,” said Leeds Binder. “But I would say the main complaint people have had with the DRP is less about what they’re receiving in terms of funding, and more about the frustration of the process. It’s just been mentally exhausting for people.”

According to the survey, more than 85 per cent of respondents experienced a loss exceeding $100,000 as a result of the 2013 disaster, and 50 per cent of respondents had a loss exceeding $200,000. However, more than half of respondents received less than $30,000 from the DRP as their final payment. A number of respondents have appealed, yet for those who received further DRP funding as a result, 45 per cent received less than $10,000 and 35 per cent received $10,000-$30,000 — which means most homeowners have been left responsible for a significant amount of their loss.

Leeds Binder said flood victims understand the DRP was never designed to replace granite countertops or expensive home theatre systems. Still, she said the program has fallen far short of what people need to recover from the disaster, with a whopping 80 per cent of respondents saying they are not satisfied with the amount of payment they’ve received.

In addition, the survey shows many flood victims are still waiting for word on the status of their file. Thirty per cent of respondents said they have not received a final payment under the DRP, because their file is “still pending.” And of those who received less funding than they were expecting, 45 per cent said they have no idea why their claim was denied.