LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The federal government will soon offer help paying for funerals for people who died of COVID-19 in the past year.
In early April, FEMA will begin providing up to $9,000 in financial assistance for funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020 for deaths related to coronavirus. The agency will use money from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, which was passed in early March. The policy was finalized on Wednesday, and FEMA will implement the program next month.
"At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters," said Acting FEMA Administrator Bob Fenton in a release. “The COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense grief for so many people. Although we cannot change what has happened, we affirm our commitment to help with funeral and burial expenses that many families did not anticipate."
Applications for assistance can be made by U.S. citizens, a non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after Jan. 20, 2020 for a death attributed to COVID-19. People can make more than one application for assistance, if they paid for more than one funeral, but the maximum for each application is $35,500.
To apply, the death certificate must say the person died a COVID-19-related death, and it must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. The funeral assistance can be used to help with funeral services and burial or cremation.
Families will need to show receipts or a funeral home contract with their name, the deceased individual's name, the date and amount of the expenses incurred. Proof of any other assistance or funeral assistance will also be needed.
FEMA is working on setting up a dedicated 800 number for potential applicants, but the agency is encouraging people to start gathering documentation for when the applications begin. Here is an intial list of requirements.
For more information about this assistance, go to COVID-19 Funeral Assistance | FEMA.gov.
Copyright 2021 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
