People in Flint should start receiving letters in the mail this week informing them how much money they will receive from the Flint water settlement fund.
Starting Friday, people with approved claims will be able to access an online payment portal to claim their money.
Nearly 26,000 people filed for a share of the more than $600 million fund, created by the state of Michigan, the city of Flint, McLaren Flint Hospital and Rowe Professional Services, to settle lawsuits tied to the Flint water crisis.
More than a decade ago, an emergency manager, appointed by then-Governor Rick Snyder, decided to switch the city of Flint’s drinking water source. The intent was to save the cash-strapped city money. The result was improperly treated water from the Flint River damaging aging pipes, releasing lead and other contaminants into Flint’s tap water.
In her order last week approving the payment process, U.S. District Court Judge Judith Levy authorized distributing payments to claimants on a rolling basis.
The first letters going out this week involve property claims. There are approximately 7,000 approved property claims under the settlement. Those claims are worth about a thousand dollars each.
The special master overseeing the settlement fund says most payouts will be modest.
But some claims, particularly those involving people who were young children during the Flint water crisis with documented high lead exposure, will receive compensation of around $100,000.
Here's a breakdown of how the settlement fund is being distributed:
- Children 6 and under at the time of the water crisis are allocated: 64.5%
- Children ages 7–11 at the time of the water crisis are allocated: 10%
- Children ages 12–17 at the time of the water crisis are allocated: 5%
- Adults at the time of the water crisis with eligible injury are allocated: 15%
- Residential property damage claims are allocated: 3% (up to $1,000/property)
- Business loss claims are allocated: 0.5% (up to $5,000/business)
Altogether, there are 30 categories where claims have been assigned.
The exact size of the Flint water settlement fund is unclear. Since its initial creation in 2020, the original $626.5 million fund has continued to grow from interest earnings.
