Some 500 - 600 claims per day are being received by the Earthquake Commission (EQC) following the Canterbury earthquake.
By 18 November, 116,000 claims have been received with 80,000 still to be assessed.
The EQC says it could take another 80 days to get through them all.
Residents have until 4 December to file a claim with the commission.
EQC claims manager Lance Dixon says some people are yet to file any claim at all.
He says there is no 'wiggle room' on claims after the deadline. The commission will have to decline any further claims after that.
The magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred on 4 September.
