Disaster Financial Assistance

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When a natural disaster occurs, the Manitoba Government may declare the event eligible for Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA). When a DFA program is established for natural disasters, the DFA program helps Manitobans recover by providing financial assistance for uninsurable losses to basic and essential property. Assistance is generally provided for the recovery needs of local authorities (including municipalities), occupied private primary residential properties, farms, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

DFA is not a substitute for private insurance and does not compensate applicants for lost revenue, inconvenience, non-essential damages, injuries or lost wages.

Not all disaster events will result in a DFA program being established. DFA programs may be established when three criteria are met:

  • Damages from the event are widespread and affect a large area or number of residents;
  • Damages from the event are mostly uninsurable; and
  • Damages from the event represent a significant financial burden.

Manitoba EMO works as quickly as possible to assess the damages from an event. During the disaster, municipalities and the public are often occupied with response activities or disaster sites may be inaccessible. As the response phase winds down, we are able to gather better information to determine whether the three DFA program criteria are met.

Frequently Asked Questions

More detailed regulatory information about DFA restrictions and eligibility criteria can be found in the DFA private and public sector regulations. Manitoba follows the federal Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) as closely as possible in order to maximize the opportunity to cost-share disasters with the federal government.

Starting in 2018, Manitoba EMO undertook a review of the disaster financial assistance program in consultation with stakeholders. Download the Disaster Financial Assistance Program - Review Final Report.

Should you have questions about an existing DFA claim, please have your claim number ready when you contact us. Using your claim number, we are able to connect you with the representative working on your DFA claim.

For more information, contact Manitoba Emergency Management Organization.

Additional Information