Government To Reimburse Costs of Covid Funerals

Starting next week, Americans who lost family members to COVID-19 will be able to ask the federal government for help in paying for funeral expenses, with a maximum of $9,000 per funeral.

Starting next week, Americans who lost family members to COVID-19 will be able to ask the federal government for help in paying for funeral expenses.

The COVID-19 relief bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in December 2020 earmarked $2 billion for funeral and burial assistance. The program is intended to assist those families who paid for out-of-pocket funeral expenses during the pandemic, even if they had already applied to other disaster relief programs.

Anyone who incurred funeral expenses for a COVID-related death after Jan. 20, 2020, is eligible for the program. Assistance will be limited to a maximum of $9,000 per funeral.

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) will begin accepting applications for Funeral Assistance on Monday, April 12, 2021, through their dedicated call centers at (844) 684-6333.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 550,169 Americans have lost their lives to the covid pandemic.

To be eligible for funeral assistance, you must meet these conditions:

  • 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.
  • There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien.

For more information about the FEMA assistance, click here.

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