Starting Monday, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is offering financial assistance for funeral expenses of COVID-19 related deaths that occurred after Jan. 20, 2020.
This assistance is under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, signed into law under the Biden Administration.
According to FEMA guidelines, there are a few conditions that need to be met in order to receive assistance:
- The death must have occurred in the United States. This includes the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.
- The cause of death was attributed to COVID-19 as stated on the death certificate.
- Anyone applying on behalf of the deceased person must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified immigrant whose funeral expenses occurred after Jan. 20, 2020.
- There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified immigrant.
Assistance is limited to a maximum of $9,000 per funeral and a maximum of $35,500 per application.
Those interested can apply for the program by calling the COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line at 844-684-6333 (toll-free) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Central Time). More information can be found on FEMA’s website.
