Thousands of families whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Sandyare being ordered to repay some of the compensation they received from the government.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is not only demanding interest on what it says were overpayments, but Washington is ready to call in debt collectors to recoup the cash.
That is not the only blow faced by families whose lives were devastated by the October 2012 hurricane which claimed 117 lives in the US and caused an estimated $50 billion (£32.5 billion) damage.
FEMA has, under pressure from senators, started investigating allegations that engineers’ reports into the damage suffered by home owners were deliberately doctored to deny victims insurance payouts.