Thousands in Saskatchewan still waiting for payments from summer floods

REGINA – Thousands of Saskatchewan residents are still waiting for payment as disaster assistance claims continue to pour in from this summer’s devastating flooding.

The Saskatchewan government says about 10 per cent of the 3,126 claims through the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program this year have been paid out.

Ministry of Government Relations spokesman Art Jones says the paperwork for claims, which includes assessment reports from engineering firms, hasn’t been completed in most cases.

Jones says the claim will be paid when it is verified and paperwork completed.

Meanwhile, more than 400 flood claims from previous years still remain outstanding, including 33 from 2010, 207 from 2011, 57 from 2012 and 131 from 2013.

Last week, 123 new claims were filed from the 2014 floods, and more are expected to trickle in as the year-end deadline approaches.

In late June, flooding triggered by torrential rains forced hundreds of people from their homes in southern Saskatchewan.