FEMA has announced the availability of financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses for those who lost a loved one to COVID-19 after Jan. 20, 2020. Recipients could receive up to $9,000 in financial assistance.
To be eligible, the death must have occurred in the United States, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen who incurred funeral expenses after Jan. 20, 2020, and the deceased person’s death certificate must indicate the death was attributed or caused by COVID-19.
Expenses that may be qualify for reimbursement include:
- Transportation to identify the deceased individual
- Transfer of remains
- Burial plot or cremation niche
- Marker or headstone
- Clergy or officiant services
- Use of funeral home equipment or staff
- Cremation or interment costs
Applicants will need to provide the name, social security number, and date of birthday for the deceased, location where deceased passed, documentation and receipts for any assistance already received from other sources including burial or funeral insurance, donations, voluntary agencies, other government programs or non-profit organizations.
To apply for Funeral Assistance, call FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance hotline at 844-684-6333 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Friday.