FEMA Assistance Available for COVID-19 Related Funeral Expenses
On April 12, 20201, FEMA began processing applications for funeral assistance for people who need help paying for funeral costs for a loved one lost to COVID. FEMA will provide financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020 under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Some friendly reminders: FEMA has never delivered funeral assistance on this scale before, so they streamlined the process to make his assistance more efficient and effective. The call center received thousands of calls the first day, causing some technical issues, with some applicants receiving a busy signal. FEMA is working on the issues, so please be patient and have all your important documents ready when you call. There is no deadline to apply.
Apply by calling 844-684-6333 (TTY: 800-462-7585) from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM PST Monday through Friday. Multilingual services are available.
To be eligible for funeral assistance, applicants must meet these conditions:
-The death must have occurred in the United States. The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after Jan. 20, 2020.
-The death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19.
-There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien.
For fastest service after you have called to apply, submit documentation online through Disasterassistance.gov , or by fax 855-261-3452. Documents may also be mailed to: COVID-19 Funeral Assistance P.O. Box 10001 Hyattsville, MD 20782.
For more information and to apply online, visit FEMA.gov/funeral-assistance/faq. Information is provided in several languages both by telephone and the website.