The Federal Emergency Management Agency has set up a way to provide financial assistance to families with COVID-related funeral expenses.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families. At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during, and after disasters,” FEMA said in a report updated on their webpage last week. “We are dedicated to helping ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the virus.”
With the help of existing COVID-related-assistance, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA has planned to help families who have lost loved ones to COVID after January 20, 2020.
“We are working with stakeholder groups to get their input on ways we can best provide this assistance, and to enlist their help with outreach to families and communities,” the FEMA report said. “FEMA will begin to implement COVID-19 funeral assistance in April.”
While FEMA is still working out the final details, they plan to soon release more information to “potential applicants and community partners as soon as possible.”
FEMA is encouraging those who think they may be eligible to keep and gather any documentation related to COVID-19 funeral expenses.
What We Know
There are current stipulations to those who may or may not be eligible for this assistance.
● The death had to have happened in the United States, including the U.S. territories.
● The cause of death on the official death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19.
● Anyone who applies must be a U.S. citizen, non citizen national, or qualified alien, however, there are no requirements for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien.
Those who wish to apply will be able to do so starting in April. As stated previously, FEMA is encouraging those COVID-19 funeral expenses to keep and gather all documentation. A list of possible information is listed below.
● An official death certificate that shows and where the death occurred.
● Receipts, funeral home contract, and any other documents related to funeral expenses will be needed. These documents should include the applicant’s name, the deceased person’s name, the amount of funeral expenses, and the dates the funeral expenses happened.
● FEMA is unable to duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral insurance, financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, government agencies, or other sources. Therefore, documents that show funds received for the use of funeral costs are needed.
FEMA is currently working to set up a toll-free number that will allow people to apply. Their website is being actively updated to provide more information and can be found by searching “COVID-19 Funeral Assistance” on FEMA’s official webpage.
Once you have applied and you are found eligible to receive benefits, funds will be received either in the form of a check by mail or by direct deposit. This option is selected by the applicant at the time of applying for assistance.