Three common myths explained about the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program.

Southern California Edison today announced that more than 12,000 participants have sought compensation directly through its Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program.

“The strong participation reflects the importance of providing impacted community members with a fair and accessible path to compensation,” said Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International, SCE’s parent company. “Our focus is on helping people better understand how the process works so they can make informed decisions about their next steps.”

As of July 24:

• Nearly 4,000 claims submitted, consisting of more than 12,000 individuals, trusts and legal entities, with 38% submitted by attorneys or authorized representatives.
• More than 2,200 offers extended to over 5,400 claimants, totaling more than $750 million.
• More than 2,300 claimants paid, totaling over $360 million, with many more in process.

Fact vs. Fiction: Explaining Three Common Myths

As participation continues to grow, SCE is addressing three common misconceptions about the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program to help community members make informed decisions about their recovery options.

Fiction: Your claim submission will be used against you in litigation.

Fact: The information provided by claimants will be used exclusively to evaluate claims and explore potential settlements. Your submission will not impact your ability to pursue litigation in any current or future legal proceeding. Filing a claim does not waive your rights. Receiving and evaluating an offer does not waive your rights either.

Fiction: Donations are deducted from your compensation.

Fact: Financial assistance, charitable donations and other forms of community support do not reduce a claimant's potential compensation through the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program. These resources are intended to help individuals and families recover and are not treated as offsets to program offers.

Fiction: Waiting for your day in court will yield a higher settlement amount.

Fact: There’s no assurance that a claimant will receive more through a lawsuit. The Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program is designed to offer compensation in line with settlement values for similar claims in past wildfire lawsuits, with a more streamlined and faster approach than litigation. Court proceedings are lengthy and uncertain. That day in court may not be days or months — it could be years. Even past wildfire settlement processes have been slow and expensive for all parties involved. Some claims from 2017 and 2018 fires, which involved significantly fewer plaintiffs than the Eaton Fire, are still pending today.

On average, offers are being delivered within 35 days, well within the 90-day commitment following submission of a substantially complete claim. Payments are made within 30 days after all conditions in the settlement agreement have been satisfied, with many claimants receiving payment in as little as two to three weeks.

More Fact vs. Fiction

With so much misleading information out there, it can be tough to get a clear picture. Explore more fact vs. fiction topics in this story, including the misconception that the program pays pennies on the dollar.

Submit By Nov. 30

Eligible individuals and businesses have until Nov. 30, 2026 to submit a claim.

• Visit the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program web page to get started.
• For one-on-one assistance in multiple languages, call 888-912-8528. In-person appointments are also available to guide claimants through the requirements and help them along the way.
• For firms representing multiple eligible claimants, a bulk intake process is available. Email the team to get started.

Editor's Note: The news release published on July 16 stated that more than $750 million had been offered through the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program. At the time of publication, more than $740 million had been offered through the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program. To date, the amount offered now exceeds $750 million.

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE: EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of approximately 15 million via 5 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

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