Here’s a timeline of promises and statements by Kenneth Feinberg about the Gulf Coast Claims Facility and the BP claims process. We have some observations about BP, Mr. Feinberg and the GCCF you may want to read at the bottom of this page.
Kenneth Feinberg – Promises and statements about BP claims and the Gulf Coast Claims Facility
July 11, 2010 – “‘One of the big challenges is convincing people to file a claim,’ Feinberg said. ‘This is not easy to convince people that some new program will help them. It takes some work.’”
July 14, 2010 – Kenneth Feinberg was reassuring this week when he met with dozens of oil spill-affected residents and Gov. Charlie Crist in Pensacola Beach. Feinberg says that within two weeks a set of rules will be in place for each type of business, outlining what qualifies as a legitimate claim and what proof is necessary to document losses. [Rules weren't put online until Aug. 20, 2010, more than a month later.]
July 19, 2010 – “Anybody can decide I want nothing to do with this. I’d rather go to court or implement my other legal rights go ahead. You’re crazy to do so though. Go ahead if you want because under this program you will receive if you’re eligible compensation without having to go to court for years,” Feinberg said. He also promised to be more generous than any court would be. “So you ought to come into this program,” he said.
July 16, 2010 – Oil-spill-claims chief Kenneth Feinberg pledged to revamp BP’s process and fight for local workers and businesses impacted by the crude leak in the Gulf of Mexico. “This is not about politics; this is about helping people in the Gulf,” Feinberg said. “I can’t help you unless you file a claim.”
August 11, 2010 – “The new program ‘will be more generous and will declare more people eligible” than BP’s process, he added, and will use different criteria to determine eligibility. ‘We won’t use the BP approval process,’ Feinberg said. “There are too many claims sitting there unpaid.” … “I must say I am at a loss to understand what (BP’s) complication is.”
August 20, 2010 – “BP claims are replaced by the Gulf Coast Claims Facility. It is independent. It is not part of BP. It is not part of the government. It is an independent program and I am beholden to neither of them. I am working for you.”
August 23, 2010 – “The goal here is to try and explain to eligible claimants: ‘It is not in your interest to tie up yourself and the courts in years of uncertain protracted litigation when … there is a more efficient quick alternative’” Feinberg told a news conference on Sunday. ‘The goal will be to pay any individual claim within 48 hours of the claim being finalized and seven days for any business claim,’ he said.
August 23, 2010 – “I understand completely the frustration, the anger, the uncertainty,” he said after the meeting. “I’m here to explain what I can do and what I can’t do. I can’t solve everybody’s problems, but at least I can address the financial uncertainty they confront as a result of that spill.” Feinberg promised it will now take two days for fishermen to get their money after their claims are processed, and seven days for businesses.
September 9, 2010 – “’The announced 48-hour claim determination rule for individual claims, and the seven-day claim determination rule for business claims will be extended as necessary and appropriate,’” Feinberg’s spokeswoman Amy Weiss told the investigative newsroom ProPublica. ‘The policy remains to review all individual and business claims as quickly as possible.’”
September 9, 2010 – “Will your ship captain vouch that you were paid so much per month? Will your priest sign a letter that says he knows you were paid so much?” Feinberg asks claimants. “I’ll bend over backwards to help the individual wage earners in the Gulf who are threatened by the spill; their livelihood was threatened, but I must have something—and everybody understands that.”
September 9, 2010 – “‘There are many, many claims where we have violated our own rule’ of paying within 48 hours or seven days. ‘It’s taking longer than I had hoped,’ Feinberg told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. ‘Those critics who say Ken Feinberg raised our expectations and then is not living up to those expectations, they’re absolutely right, and I owe them an apology,’ he said.”
September 16, 2010 – “’Do not assume that all claims that are supposedly pending are ready to be processed,’ he said. Feinberg said that thousands of claims are insufficiently documented, ineligible, duplicative or ‘suspicious,’ and that the wait for claims that are fully documented and under review would be closer to two weeks….
“Feinberg told us that he has kept the roughly 1,500 adjusters working in the Gulf from the Worley company (which was initially contracted by BP), but that he had added a final stop that claims must pass through before approval. “The last stop on the claims process is in Washington, D.C.,” Feinberg said. “All claims must go through this hub to ensure consistency. There are 25 employees in my office reviewing and finalizing claims.”
“Feinberg said that adding more employees in the Washington would result in less consistency in payments, and that he was not considering hiring more there. If anything, Feinberg said that he would decrease the number of adjusters he has working in the Gulf as the volume of claims eases. “I’m comfortable with the staffing situation,” Feinberg said. “I’ve concluded that you reach a point of diminishing returns. I’m trying to improve efficiency.”
September 17, 2010 – “‘Some of that criticism is justifiable because of the time it’s taking to review claims,’ Feinberg, who has been facing angry crowds wherever he goes, said in a recent interview. ‘I take it under advisement. I take it as constructive criticism. Maybe we ought to have a state ombudsman or state facilitator who can look at the reasons for delays.’”
September 15, 2010 – “Gulf Coast Claims Facility administrator Ken Feinberg today acknowledged ‘serious problems’ in the process by which those damaged by this summer’s BP oil spill are being compensated….
- “It’s taking me too long to process claims,” Feinberg told a crowd of about 900 people gathered at the Orange Beach, Ala., recreation center for a town hall meeting today. “I over-promised and under-delivered on timing.”
- Another problem Feinberg acknowledged: Payments that have been received have not been as large as needed.
- “In all too many cases, the generosity of the program has not been developed. Too many people received a check that was too little,” he said. “I have already authorized supplemental checks that will go out.”
September 20, 2010 – “I’ve been very disappointed with a number of things,” Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet told WWL-AM radio station last week. “I have been a big supporter of Ken Feinberg. I’ve meet with him three times in this area. I have spoken to many people to try to express to them to just listen to this guy, that he’s very credible, he’s going to try to make this right. And right off the bat, a number of things he has told us are not right.”
- Beginning a laundry list of things deemed “not right” with Feinberg’s claims facility, Claudet mentioned the claims office in Chauvin that closed the same day he took over.
- “[Feinberg] said no claims offices would close, and he closed our office in Chauvin. He said you weren’t going to need to resubmit documentation, and I have people who have had to resubmit documentation after they were told not to.”
- Claudet also asked Feinberg to move the claims office in Hammond closer to the people in need of claims. “Now it’s in Ohio,” Claudet said.
September 17, 2010 – “Feinberg said this week that he wasn’t ready to disclose the terms of his law firm’s contract with BP, but would do so soon.”
Observations on Kenneth Feinberg, the GCCF and how BP is using it against people with BP claims.
Kenneth Feinberg’s statements and recent developments in the BP lawsuits now show several things:
- Mr. Feinberg told reporters when he was first reported that it would be hard for him to convince people to participate in the Gulf Coast Claims Facility.
- Mr. Feinberg traveled all over the Gulf Coast states meeting with people to try to convince them to file a claim with the GCCF.
- Mr. Feinberg made promises that he has failed to deliver on: he has not paid claims faster, and many question whether he has paid claims more generously.
- Mr. Feinberg claimed the GCC “is not part of BP. It is not part of the government. It is an independent program and I am beholden to neither of them. I am working for you.” But Mr. Feinberg still refuses to disclose how much he is being paid. Why?
- BP is now using the $20 billion GCCF fund as part of its delaying tactics in federal court in New Orleans. In papers filed with the federal court in New Orleans, BP argued that people can’t sue BP for oil spill damages until they’ve filed a claim with the GCCF and waited at least 90 days.
A Reuters reporter suggested that BP may be planning to use the $20 billion GCCF fund to pay off those with large, strong claims to avoid having to face those in court. Reuters reported that BP’s incoming CEO told financial analysts that the $20 billion fund is sufficient to pay all claims against BP. Reuters had an interesting analysis of the situation:
“The fund, which was taken over last month by Obama administration’s former executive pay czar Kenneth Feinberg, could presumably pay the vast majority of the stronger claims, such as those brought by resorts that had oil-smeared beaches. That could leave BP and its defendants facing weaker claims that the fund rejects, such as those brought by businesses miles from areas affected by the spill.”
Is that the real purpose of the $20 billion GCCF Fund? Use our online form for a free, no-obligation review of your oil spill claims.
Comments are open if you would like to share your opinion about Kenneth Feinberg, the GCCF, BP and oil spill claims.
file a claim on sept 25 2010 under review what it going to take for it to b pay
I filed for assistance the 1st. day bp offered the filing process. I also flled the first day the system went to GCCF. I have not had a response from anyone yet. By turning this thing over to GCCF is nothing more than a ploy to buy time,hoping people will give up, pass away or simply get lost in the system. BP released the oil, not the GCCF. These so called professional people they have stationed in each state are nothing more than glorified telephone operators with absolutely no authority. If you don’t believe that, try to get in touch with someone in Dublin, Ohio. ( A great place to make decisions for Gulf Coast residents and their livelihoods.) When you E-mail the GCCF you will get an automatic response,pretty quick, saying they are working on your case and you should hear something very shortly. Well, I’ve been waiting almost (6) months, so don’t get your hopes up folks. It simply ain’t agonna happen, dog. You ever heard of WASHINGTON POLITICS ? You are seeing them work at their best right now.
GCCF is denying all medical professionals claims in every state and I really dont understand. I guess those medical professional that traveled to those areas to deliver healthcare did not sufffer a loss such as loss of income due to inability to travel ther to deliver health services, suppies, and goods.
I think it is absurd that BP is denying casino workers of their claims. What BP isn’t understanding is that the casinos only care if they are making money–they do not care if their employees are making money. Especially the tipped employees. Most casinos dont want to pay unemployment, so they cut hours drastically in hope employees will quit. Aftter the oil spill, the casinos ran their shifts with a skeleton crew…which affected many employees. True, they still had their jobs, but if they work far less hours and their business is down, the casinos workers suffer financially. After all, the top executives are only concerned with their own personal bonuses, so they expect more of the employees that they allow to work their shift. The end result, the casino workers suffer and the greedy top executives are proud of the numbers they show. First Hurricane Katrina destroys the coast and casino workers, five years later BP destorys us again. And those of us who desperately need the financial help are denied. What kind of sense does that make and where is the justice?
Has anyone noticed that the local and national media does not run stories about the FAILURES of the CLAIMS PROCESS? Do you know why? Every week BP spends millions blanketing newspapers, TV, and radio in advertising. These media outlets WILL NOT say anything adverse because of the HUGE revenue stream it is getting from BP.
GCCF is discriminating against casino workers, denying their claims. Bp is not responsible for this, GCCF is. It is discrimination. Since the GCCF is not following their own Bill of Rights, is it possible to sue GCCF for mishandling the casino claims?
Although I filed my claim only 3 days ago, I was VERY hesitant to do so thinking I wouldn’t receive compensation. I am one of the best bartenders on the North Shore in LA. I have NEVER been unemployed longer than 2 days, 3 max unless by choice. In 2008, I show earnings of over $30,000. And that’s only claiming what is required by law. I work in fine dining and make about double that in theory. In 2009, I show earnings of over $20,000, again double that. Reason in decrease, took time off for the birth of my granddaughter, who I was just granted custody in June after the restaurant I was employed with CLOSED due to the lack of business after “the spill”. Jobs in the industry just aren’t attainable!! I’m either over qualified or cannot commute to the South shore. I can’t accept management positions, I have an infant to care for and cannot dedicate myself to a time consuming position as such. NOW they are telling me they are calculating lost earnings based on pay stubs from 2010. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!! I took off the first of the year to help my daughter get situated and back to work. I was only employed Feb-June. AGAIN, only claiming what is required by law. My roommate, also in the industry,had the luxury to move back to his parents. My daughter was admitted into a treatment facility in New Orleans. That’s THREE incomes lost in the same month. I will eat dish soap if need be to make sure my granddaughter does not go without, ANYTHING. And it’s almost come to that. I am 2 mos behind on rent, am killing the utility customer service with kindness, pleas and promises. I’ve been searching the web for answers, time lines,contact info. And all I’ve found are blogs, news stories, and nightmares about the claim process. EXACTLY why I was hesitant. But the GCCF stated on their website FORTY EIGHT HOURS. For what? For me to stay up for 2 days on my laptop finding more and more horror stories? That little gleam of hope I had, for one day is now gone. Am I waisting my time as I predicted or will they come through? Any advice, or factual information would be humbly appreciated.
@Grace:
What do you mean you claim “what only is required by law?” I believe it are mistaken on that. BY LAW you are REQUIRED to claim everything to earn. Not just your credit card tips, not just a percentage of your sales… EVERYTHING PENNY EARNED. The reason for this is because you are required, “by law”, to pay taxes on every dollar earned. If you expect BP to pay you based on your theory that you earned “double” what you claimed to their IRS, then you must be insane. Join the rest of the hard working Americans and pay taxes on every dollar you earn. Maybe you should consider paying the government what you owe them before you expect a handout from anyone else.
IF THEY ARE IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY I AM G0ING TO ASSUME THEY GET MONEY BACK BECAUSE IT ISNT A HUGE PAYING JOB…THAT IS WHY YOU DONT HAVE TO HAVE A DEGREE FROM MIT..SO IT ONLY HELPS EVERYONE ELSE BECAUSE THEY WOULD MOST PROBABLY GET MORE BACK IF THEY CLAIMED IT….I DOUBT THEY MAKE 250,000 A YEAR….I AM FOR A UNION OF RESTAURANT TIPPED EMPLOYEES…THEY GET NO BREAKS, NO LUNCHES, LUCKY IF THEY GET TO GO TO THE BATHROOM WHEN THEY HAVE TO, TAKE GENERAL ABUSE FROM A MAJORITY OF THE PUBLIC WHO THINK THEY CAN TREAT THEM HOWEVER THEY WANT, I AM FOR A FLAT SALARY WITH TIP ADDED ON TO THE BILL…AHHHH BUT PEOPLE DONT WANT THAT BECAUSE THEN THEY COULDNT JIP ON THE TIP! GET RID OF TIPPED EMPLOYEES EVERYWHERE AND IT WILL BE REPORTED, BUT BE READY TO GET THE SERVICE YOU PAY FOR…..AND YOU CANT JUST REPORT YOUR CREDIT CARD TIPS…THATS SILLY, YOU HAVE A SALES REPORT PRINTED EVERYDAY AND IF YOU ONLY CLAIM CC TIPS THE IRS WILL KNOW….
I wouldnt call it a Handout,I guess You really Dont realize What Has happened.
@ Theresa and who ever else ASSUMED I do not claim cash tips….I claim 20 percent of my sales. Even if some days I don’t make that. I look forward to my tax return each year. And Laundry, for years? I have been a painter and drywaller, worked in radio with the degree I aquired in college; all of these jobs are HOURLY. And my hourly pay is never less than $10 pr hr. when I bartend. I have supported myself and daughter for 23 yrs. All the while reaching goals to better both of our lives. What a person does or makes for a living doesn’t define them. And by the way, supported by documents, facts and the GCCF’s calculations, I recieved $42,000. Have since moved out of state with my granddaughter and life is good. I pray you decide to change your destiny and do something that puts a smile on the face of the lady that stares back at you in the mirror every morning…
You don’t have to claim ANYTING if there are less than 5 tipped employees.
To Christina and who ever else ASSUMED I do not claim cash tips….I claim 20 percent of my sales. Even if some days I don’t make that. I look forward to my tax return each year. And Laundry, for years? I have been a painter and drywaller, worked in radio with the degree I aquired in college; all of these jobs are HOURLY. And my hourly pay is never less than $10 pr hr. when I bartend. I have supported myself and daughter for 23 yrs. All the while reaching goals to better both of our lives. What a person does or makes for a living doesn’t define them. And by the way, supported by documents, facts and the GCCF’s calculations, I recieved $42,000. Have since moved out of state with my granddaughter and life is good. I pray you decide to change your destiny and do something that puts a smile on the face of the lady that stares back at you in the mirror every morning…
LOL at you talking about you make double that but dont report it to the IRS. I wish they could track you down. I cant make any money now because of this and you have been cheating all along for years. I hope you dont get a penny from the GCCF or even a tax refund….. You deserve an audit thats what you need. If i have to wash and iron clothes and report every penny to the IRS, then you should do the same with your $3/hour, credit card tips and table tips. If you turn tricks on the side report that too.
YOU SAY ‘TURN TRICKS’ AS IF IT IS A NEGATIVE THING AND I ASSUME THAT WOULD MEAN YOU ARE CALLING THAT INDIVIDUAL A HOOKER…I DONT BELEIVE YOU HAVE TO RESORT TO NAME CALLING TO GET A POINT ACROSS…. I ASSUME YOU THINK DRUG DEALERS SHOULD REPORT THEIR INCOME ALSO…THEN LEAGALIZE ALL THAT CRAP AND TAX IT, BUT UNTIL IT IS, HOOKERS AND DRUG DEALERS WILL NOT REPORT THIER INCOME…LETS BE REALISTIC HERE…AT LEAST YOU GET PAID TO DO LAUNDRY!
Thanks Theresa, sorry. I was so flustered I mixed up who said what!! Not everyone understands the “industry”. I think everyone on the PLANET should work in a restaurant for one week. The Laundry Lady sounds like my bitter mother.
I GUESS YOU SHOULD HAVE REPORTED ALL THAT YOU MADE…..SHOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT WITH THAT ONE….ALWAYS HAVE PAPER WORK OR YOU CANT PROVE ANYTHING….
they calculate average income by adding 2008, 2009 divide by 2. then they subtract 2010 income and Gccf payments= Projected loss x2 = Final Offer. You Should be filing interim Claims every three months showing you have no job and proof that you have applied for other jobs. The first interim claim you can include May 2010 to March 31 all income lost that has not been compensated for by GCCF. Go to GCCF claims facility to find out exactly what forms you need and request a probono Lawyer that is provided for free. May get some helpful advice from Lawyer. Good luck my brother was a bartender and it is understood about reported income, restaurants do not want to pay a living wage nor insurance and matching social security taxes.
I am a small business owner in Naples, FL. I have listened and watched the claims process unfold in my area and I am frankly appalled at how much fraud is taking place. I realize that many people were hurt by this disaster and I also know that BP is doing all they can to restore their image, but paying people who have had absolutely zero negative impact from the spill and coaching them on what to present as documentation is gross negligence and will do nothing to teach people to have a decent work ethic. I have watched people receive $8000 from the govt. sponsored First Time Home Buyer program who didn’t even own a home and now the same people are getting checks for an avg. $3000 from BP due to word of mouth from other friends who are doing the same as the BP agents are helping them distort the facts and receive fraudulent payouts. I do not feel sorry for BP, I am just tired of the “nanny state ” mentality that permeates our society and is getting worse. People will not want to work if they can be supported by the govt. or if “free” money is readily available via insurance fraud, disaster fraud or govt. handouts. I support a free market and risk/reward through hard work. If we don’t fight this our freedoms will be slowly eroded and one day we will live in a socialist society that ironically most of the people I have witnessed defrauding the system have come from…
THIS IS WHAT I AM REFERRING TO….DO YOU KNOW OR HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THIS HAS DONE TO MY ENVIROMENT OR MY WORK? NO, YOU DONT AND I SHOULDNT FEEL LIKE I AM STANDING IN LINE FOR WELFARE WHEN I WORK MY BUTT OFF AND SOME MORON CAME THRU AND OOOOOPSSSS…SPILLED A LITTLE OIL, LEFT THE AREA AND COULDNT GIVE A RATS BUTT ABOUT IT ANYMORE…..I HAVE CHILDREN AND I HAVE LIVED AND WORKED IN MY COMMUNITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS, I WAS 30 FT FROM THE PRESIDENT WHEN HE WALKED ON OUR BEACH AFTER THE SPILL….THE PEOPLE SCAMMING THE GCCF SHOULD BE CAUGHT BY LAW ENFORCEMENT BUT IT SHOULD NOT PUT A NEGATIVE LIGHT ON THE PEOPLE THAT DO DESERVE COMPENSATION FOR THIS DESTRUCTION. I STILL WORK MY BUTT OF BUT NOW I MAKE HALF OF WHAT I DID BEFORE…HOW IS THIS FAIR? I AM NOT ASKING TO LIVE OFF THE GOVT, I HAVE WORKED SINCE I WAS 14 AND WILL CONTINUE TILL I AM VERY OLD. FOR EVERYONE FRAUDULENTLY GETTING MONEY THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO HAVE DONE EVERYTHING I WAS TOLD TO DO AND AM RECIEVING NOTHING BECAUSE THE EMPLOYEE INPUT MY INFO INCORRECTLY! DO I HAVE ACCESS TO CHANGE THIS…NO. CAN I TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT IT. NO. IF IT IS THAT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO JUST HEAR ABOUT FRIENDS GETTING MONEY AND THEN JUST GETTING A PAYMENT ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH THEM SO I CAN SEE WHO THIER ADJUSTER WAS, OH WAIT, THEY WONT TELL YOU THAT INFORMATION. I AM NOT LIVING OF THE GOVERNMENT AND I AM SUFFERING BECAUSE OF SOME GREEDY IDIOT….I WILL NOT FEEL AS IF I AM BEGGING FOR WELFARE…I AM JUST LOOKING TO HAVE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT I WOULD NORMALLY BE MAKING!
I guess You Havent seen how much realestate has dropped on the Gulf,Whos Going to buy a beachhouse on a polluted ocean?
I FEEL THAT A EMERGENCY SHOULD’T TAKE 2 MONTHS I APPLY IN OCTOBER HAVEN;T RECIEVE ANYTHING .FRIENDS APPLY AFTER ME. MY STACTICS IS REVULUATE.IAM UNEMPLOYED . .DON’T HAVE MONEY TOPAY MINE BILLS. HAVE TO EAT AT MY DAUGHTER HOUSE SHE HAVE 5 CHILDREN SHE HAVE TO FEED HER OWN CHILDREN, HAVE TO BORROW FROM MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR GAS MONEY TO LOOK FOR AJOB GAS IS GOING UP EVERY DAY .
the sodium and cloride in the ocean mixed with the ammonia which is a byproduct of the oil breaking down this created pausegene gas then that combined with the benzine gas which is the natual gas in its raw form and when activated by the syinide in the dispersant created mustard gas the same thing saddam used against the kurds and germany used in the gas chambers i lost a lung to it and thats called necrotic psonosis the gccf hasnt processed my claim and its 6 months now the doctors were insurance doctors va and social security and ssi doctors and i cant even find a governing body to file a complaint against the gccf
I did my claim on Aug.23,2010,THE FIRST DAY GCCF TOOK OVER@DID CLAIM BEFORE 12:00PM.I have sent in 2008,2009 taxes and a notorized letter stateing what I made in 2010 up till the spill.I’ve also turned in Boat regestration,Commercial Fishing licence@Trip tickets.BUT FOR SOME REASON MY CLAIM IS IN REVIEW AND 800 LINE CAN NEVER GIVE A STRAIGHT ANSWER.Just that they are going to be done with the EAP Claims soon.BUT THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO BE DONE WITH THAT BY DEC.15,2010
Coming from BP my checks were there on time every month but since the GCCF took over I’ve yet to recieve a dime.Since then I’ve done lost everything and now live in my pickup truck along with my fience and two kids ages 1 and 3. My 3 year old has to take Growth Harmone Shots 6 days a week and the meds. Have to be refrigerated.In which I have told GCCF my situation so many times I lost count and all I get told is that to be patience and that they understand what I’m going through.BUT I WONDER IF GCCF WOULD HOLD ALL CHECKS FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO WORKS FOR 800 NUMBER IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO WORK THERE CAUSE I’M SURE THEY HAVE A PAYCHECK ON EVERY FRI.SO I SAY YOU CAN’T CALL THIS AN EMERGENCY CLAIM BEING WE BEEN WAITING 119 DAYS SO THERE’S NOTHING EMERGENCY ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know Exactly what you mean! I claimed on Sept. 23, 2010 with all my documents and my claim is still under review as of December 30, 2010, even though they tell me there aren’t any in review. I have three kids ages 6,5, and 4 and have been barely holding on only because of family. Everyone I know/knew got huge payouts from the fund and they all still have jobs and are making good money. I lost my job due to the spill in late may and haven’t been able to get back up on my feet supporting 3 kids.
I’ve submitted a clam around September 12, 2011 and is still in review…was wondering did they ever come through for you
The GCCF is Blocking people from filling out the Interim Claim Form Online by Locking up one of the pages from being finished.
The Claims for Lost Earnings or Profits page.
You keep getting a message like this:
“You have made one or more errors when completing this page. Please refer to the error messages.”
I have called the over 20 times and sent many e-mails to fix the problem, their IT Department was to fix this problem 10 days ago and still nothing. With this problem helping people with personal and Business claims alike, the GCCF does not care about your claim.
I have friends, co-workers, and family all with the same problem will the Form and GCCF.
Me an and my coworker have not got a dime.WE have done everything BP ask us to do.Why someone in a shoping mall get payed.If no one show up for a room we dont get tips are have rooms to clean.Our job cut our hrs,from 39 a week to 32 a week som time lower than that.Now that theoil is clean we have rooms an back up to 39hrs a week.Even fast food worker got 2o to 3o t.wow we just want what we loss.
GCCF IS RIDICULOUS…I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH INCOMPETENCE IN MY LIFE…AND TRUST ME I AM AROUND STUPID PEOPLE ALL THE TIME. THE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE GETTING PAID DONT HAVE A CLUE WHAT IS GOING ON….HOW CAN YOU JUST HAVE NO CLUE? I HAVE BEEN TOLD SO MANY CONTRADICTING THINGS BY THE PHONE EMPLOYEES AND THE EMPLOYEES IN THE OFFICES. THEY DONT LET YOU TALK TO ANYONE THAT HAS A CLUE AND THEN THEY HAVE THIS FABULOUS WAY OF ACTING LIKE YOU ARE IN A WELFARE LINE TRYING TO CHEAT THEM OUT OF MONEY….I DO EXACTLY WHAT I AM TOLD I AM SUPPOSE TO DO AND THEY CHANGE THE RULES AFTER YOU HAVE DONE WHAT THEY ORIGINALLY TOLD YOU. THEY INSIST YOU GIVE ALL THIS INFO BUT THEY DONT HAVE TO GIVE YOU ANY….CRIMINALS…..OUR ENVIROMENT AND OUR CAREERS IN THIS AREA HAVE BEEN DESTROYED AND THEY HAVE DECIDED TO MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE IT RIGHT….I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME CLAIM AND ONE GET A LARGE SUM OF MONEY AND ONE GET NONE…WHAT ARE THESE YAHOOS DOING? ARE MONKEYS DOIN THE CLAIMS? MUST BE BECAUSE THEY SURE WONT LET YOU SPEAK WITH ANYONE…WELL, HELLO LAWSUIT…EXXON HAD TO HAND OUT BETWEEN 50,000 AND 25000.00 TO ALL THE CLAIMENTS INDIVIDUALLY IN THEIR OIL SPILL SUIT…AND GUESS WHAT THEY AREA IS STILL SUFFERING 21 YEARS LATER…
The GCCF has a staff of over 3000 people. They have had over 200 days working on 500000 claims —- that is working on 0.8 claims a day. And yet they have only processes 65% of claims. PROCESSED the GCCF told me, means looked at and filed. My husband and I both filed in October, never saw a penny, submitted more info which the GCCF got Jan31. They tell us it’s looking good. All info complete (which was an insane amount of doubled documents). During the last 7 weeks both of our claims have been reviewed 3 times. “Hang in there/ be patient/ any day now” we have been told any time we call. The employees on the phone are nothing more than operator monkeys trained to say “we are sorry” ” we understand” “I know” and “be patient”.
I am going insane. Waiting, all information lost, denied, all information found, APPROVED, yeah, ooops – our bad: denied. Try again and wait wait wait. Next week I have to cancel my whole families health insurance. My kids eat pasta and peanut butter jelly sandwiches nearly daily. I non-stop feel like crying. I have a masters, am bilingual, we worked hard all our lives and now we are poor. The few $10/hour jobs out there don’t go to waitresses/ servers in their forties – they rather hire college girls with “hooters bodys”. Businesses are still waiting and hurting, too and take labor as cheap as it comes.
I hate BP
I hate Feinberg
I am mad at my president
We will get a few days of media coverage on the anniversary and then everyone will forget about our hardship.
@ Gulfresident…I TOTALLY agree. I filed initially in the fall of 2010. Was denied emergency. Filed in May of 2011, but in June 2011 was told they never received my paperwork, so I sent it again. In August I received a call from a man who said he was handling my case, and requested that I submit even more documentation (because they didn’t bother to specify to the detail what I was supposed to submit the first time). So, I sent everything in. Next time I called him, he didn’t work there any more, but another man said he was looking into it and would call me back. Never did. All of my “missing” paperwork was turned in in November 2011. It is now Jan 4, 2012, and I just got off the phone with 2 representatives, both extremely “apologetic”, and told me that I was still missing documentation for my personal and business claims, but when looked into further, one of the reps saw that there actually was NOT a deficiency on my business claim, but the deficiency had not dropped off in the system. Of course, she couldn’t manually do this, and couldn’t tell me who handled this part of the procedure. I asked what department everything is sent to you and she said, “I just press a button; I don’t know where it goes.” So, there is nobody for me to talk to, and nowhere to be heard. This is a joke.