FEMA to pay for, reimburse up to $7K in COVID-19 funeral costs incurred after Jan. 2020

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that they’ll allocate $2 billion — $7,000 per family — for COVID-19 related funeral costs starting April.

The funds are part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, both signed into law earlier this month.

Since March 2020, Michigan has lost 15,835 people to the pandemic, and there have been 618,421 cases.

Coronavirus Obituaries: We remember those we have lost

Detroit-based Thompson Funeral Home administrator Edward Thompson said a funeral service, excluding the cemetery cost, ranges from $3,200 to $5,200, depending on factors like merchandise, personalization, facility type, and more. A cremation, which is more cost-effective since it doesn’t incur the cost of a burial plot, is $3,200 to $4,200, Thompson said.

Caskets, urns, burial plots, headstones and other required costs are eligible for assistance.

Costs relating to obituaries, flowers, printed materials, catering, transporting guests to funeral services and gratuities are ineligible for assistance.

FEMA Assistance: Ford Field COVID-19 vaccine registrations now open after earlier delay

Here is an eligibility checklist for FEMA funeral cost assistance:

Funeral expenses were incurred after Jan. 20, 2020 The death must have occurred in the U.S. The death certificate must say that the cause of death was COVID-19 The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or legal immigrant of the U.S., but the deceased does not need a specific legal status

To apply for funeral cost assistance, gather documentation:

An official death certificate that shows the death was directly or indirectly related to COVID-19 and occurred in the United States. Funeral expenses documents with names of the applicant and deceased, amount of funeral expenses and dates of expenses Proof of funds received from other sources specifically for funeral expenses. FEMA said they will not “duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral insurance, financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, government agencies, or other sources.”

FEMA will start accepting applications in April. They are setting up a toll-free number for applicants, which will be provided here. FEMA funeral assistance will be provided via check or direct deposit.

Contact Minnah Arshad: [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @minnaharshad.

Support local journalism here.

Subscribe: 7 reasons you need a digital subscription to the Detroit Free Press

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: FEMA to pay for, reimburse up to $7K in COVID-19 funeral costs incurred after Jan. 2020

___

(c)2021 the Detroit Free Press

Visit the Detroit Free Press at www.freep.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.