Applications for COVID-19 funeral assistance program to open in April
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
The Federal Emergency
Management
Agency (FEMA) shared
more details about
the COVID-19 funeral
assistance program
meant to help families
who’ve suffered financial
burden after losing
loved ones to COVID-
19, Queens and the
Bronx Congresswoman
Alexandria Ocasio-
Cortez and Senate Majority
Leader Charles
Schumer announced on
Wednesday, March 24.
FEMA will help pay
for the COVID-19-related
funeral and burial
costs families and individuals
may have incurred
as a result of the
pandemic, as part of the
Coronavirus Response
and Relief Supplemental
Appropriations Act
of 2021 and the American
Rescue Plan Act of
2021.
SAMPLE
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The assistance is set
to a maximum of $9,000
per funeral, and a maximum
of $35,500 per application.
FEMA will only
award funeral assistance
for a deceased
individual on a single
application. If multiple
individuals contributed
toward funeral expenses,
they are advised to
apply under a single application
as applicant
and co-applicant. An
applicant may apply for
multiple deceased individuals.
FEMA will also consider
documentation
from other individuals
not listed as the applicant
and co-applicant
who may have sustained
funeral expenses
as part of the registration
for the deceased
individual.
An applicant must
be a U.S. citizen, noncitizen
national, or
qualified undocumented
immigrant, including
asylees and refugees,
who sustained
funeral expenses after
Jan. 20, 2020. The deceased
individual’s
documentation status
is not considered as
part of the reimbursement
process, according
to Congresswoman
Ocasio-Cortez’s office.
Applicants are encouraged
to begin gathering
documentation
for reimbursement,
including a copy of the
death certificate that
attributes the death to
COVID-19 (terms like
“may have been caused
by” or “was likely the
result of” COVID-19 or
COVID-19-like symptoms
are acceptable)
and shows that it occurred
in the U.S. (including
U.S. territories
and the District of Columbia).
Other documentation
needed are funeral
expenses forms (such as
receipts, funeral home
contracts, among others)
must include the
applicant’s name, the
deceased individual’s
name, the amount of
funeral expenses and
dates the funeral expenses
were incurred.
If applicants already
received reimbursement
for certain funeral
expenses through
government agencies,
voluntary agencies,
nonprofits, burial or
funeral insurance,
they are not allowed to
resubmit those same
expenses for reimbursement
through the
FEMA COVID-19 funeral
assistance program.
If applicants received
outside assistance,
documentation of that
assistance must be included
in their FEMA
application.
If an individual received
financial assistance
through the deceased’s
life insurance
policy, they may still
apply for reimbursement.
The application period
to apply to FEMA’s
COVID-19 funeral assistance
will open nationwide
in April. A
deadline to apply for
the assistance has not
yet been established.
FEMA is also working
to establish a 1-800
dedicated number with
several different languages
offered to help
individuals apply for
the program.
To find more information
about the funeral
assistance program,
visit www.fema.gov/
disasters/coronavirus/
e conomi c /f u ne r a l -
assistance.
Photo via Getty Images
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