FEMA to Help Pay Funeral Costs for COVID-19 Related Deaths

For Immediate Release: Friday, April 9, 2021

Beginning Monday, April 12, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) will begin providing financial assistance for funeral expenses for COVID-19 related deaths that occurred after Jan. 20, 2020 to help decrease financial stress caused by the pandemic.

According to FEMA guidelines, to be eligible for COVID-19 funeral assistance:

• 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 immigrant 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 immigrant.

The assistance is limited to a maximum of $9,000 per funeral and a maximum of $35,500 per application. Funeral assistance is intended to assist with expenses for funeral services and interment or cremation.

To apply for the program, call 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). For more information, visit FEMA’s website at https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance.

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Release ID: 21-223
Media Contact: Mary Anderson 240-777-6507