Calif. State Fund Offers Credit Extension to Fire Victims

California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund announced it will extend credit to policyholders who have suffered a financial loss or business disruption caused by the dozen wildfires that are ravaging seven counties in Southern California: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

State Fund has more than 100,000 policyholders in the area, and indicated it would work with policyholders who are unable to report payroll figures or submit payments as a result of the emergency. President Janet Frank said, “State Fund recognizes the needs of policyholders when disaster strikes. Our offer of credit relief is one way to help our policyholders and their businesses return to normal operations.”

SCIF has set up dedicated customer service lines to provide assistance to Southern California policyholders whose operations were impacted. Policyholders are encouraged to contact State Fund’s Customer Service Center at 800-388-0902 to make arrangements for October 2007 payroll reports and payments. This program will be offered to employers through a series of newspaper announcements and mailings to all State Fund policyholders in the affected area.

By Thursday SCIF said more than 1,300 homes had been reported destroyed and more than 350,000 households ordered evacuated. Nearly 450,000 acres had burned.

Source: SCIF