Nashville, TN – The COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families. TEMA is encouraging families who have lost a loved one to apply for FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance to ease some financial stress and burden caused by the virus.
Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 Coronavirus related funeral expenses incurred after January 20th, 2020.
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How to Apply
A dedicated toll-free phone number to complete a COVID-19 Funeral Assistance application with help from FEMA’s representatives is available.
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line Number
844.684.6333 | TTY: 800.462.7585
Hours of Operation:
Monday – Friday
9:00am to 9:00pm, Eastern Time
The application process with FEMA should take about 20 minutes and multi-lingual services are available. FEMA is not accepting online applications for the benefit, so a call to FEMA’s COVID-19 funeral assistance phone number is necessary to register and begin the process.
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Who is Eligible?
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 Coronaviurs.
- The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20th, 2020.
- There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien.
If you had COVID-19 funeral expenses, we encourage you to keep and gather documentation. Types of information should include:
- An official death certificate that attributes the death directly or indirectly to COVID-19 and shows that the death occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.
- Funeral expenses documents (receipts, funeral home contract, etc.) that includes the applicant’s name, the deceased person’s name, the amount of funeral expenses, and the dates the funeral expenses happened.
- Proof of funds received from other sources specifically for use toward funeral costs. We are not able to duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral insurance, financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, government agencies, or other sources.
How Funds Are Received
If you are eligible for funeral assistance you will receive a check by mail, or funds by direct deposit, depending on which option you choose when you apply for assistance.
An applicant may apply for multiple deceased individuals with a maximum allowable amount of $9,000 per funeral, and a maximum of $35,500 per application.
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Social Media
- Did you lose someone from COVID-19 Coronavirus? FEMA is accepting applications for the Funeral Assistance Program. Visit the FAQ page today to check the eligibility requirements in order to receive financial help. Learn more: fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance#eligible
- Beware of scams! The Funeral Assistance Program has controls in place to mitigate fraudulent activity. We will not contact anyone until they have called us or have applied for assistance. If you are a victim of fraud, report it to our Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1.866.720.5721.
- Families who lost loved ones to COVID-19 Coronavirus can now get help with funeral expenses from @fema. To learn more, visit: fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance
- Applying for our Funeral Assistance program? You can apply 9:00an-9:00pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday, by calling 844.684.6333 | TTY: 800.462.7585. Multilingual services will be available. Keep in mind there is no deadline to apply.
Resources
Get answers to frequently asked questions about the application process on our Funeral Assistance FAQ page [2].