FEMA Announces Funeral Assistance for Families with Loved Ones Who Have Passed Away Due to COVID-19
FEMA is now providing financial assistance for COVID-related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020. To be eligible, the following conditions must be met:
- The death must have occurred in the United States (including the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia)
- The death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19
- The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020. However, there is no requirement for the decedent to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien
If you are eligible for assistance, you should gather and keep the following information:
- An official death certificate that attributes the death directly or indirectly to COVID-19 and shows that the death occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia
- Funeral expense documentation, such as receipts, funeral home contracts, etc., that include the applicant’s name, the decedent’s name, the amount of funeral expenses incurred and the dates on which they were incurred
- Proof of funds received from other sources specifically for use toward funeral costs. FEMA is not able to duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral insurance, financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, government agencies, or other sources
To apply, call the COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line Number at 844-684-6333 (TTY: 800-462-7585). The hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9 AM-9 PM eastern time. You can learn more by visiting https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance.
Please be aware that FEMA has received reports of scammers contacting people with offers to help them register for funeral assistance. FEMA has not sent any notifications of this nature and will never contact people before they register for assistance.
