Up to $9,000 available to help families cover funeral expenses for loved ones lost to COVID

MassLive.com

Massachusetts residents who incurred funeral expenses after losing a loved one to COVID-19 complications could get financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA is offering to cover up to $9,000 in funeral expenses for people who died of complications related to COVID-19 after Jan. 20, 2020, two months before the pandemic was declared.

Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin on Wednesday urged residents to apply for financial assistance.

“So many people have lost loved ones to this pandemic and coping with the loss of a family member is hard enough without needing to worry about the costs of laying that person to rest,” Galvin said in a statement. “I encourage anyone who has lost a loved one to COVID-19 to visit my website to learn more about the help that is available to them, even if the funeral has already been paid for.”

Massachusetts surpassed 17,000 COVID-related deaths on Wednesday, and a growing number of new COVID-19 cases involve children under age 14. The U.S. death toll is exponentially higher, exceeding 556,000 since COVID-19 was first detected.

Who qualifies for reimbursement?

The program is open to U.S. citizens, non-citizens with legal status with some exceptions. The death must have occurred in the U.S., and a medical examiner or other certifier must have noted on the death certificate that COVID-19 played a role in the person’s death, according to the program’s interim policy.

Children cannot apply for the program on behalf of an adult who is not a U.S. citizen or “qualified alien.” But if a child paid for funeral expenses for someone who died from COVID-19 applications, that child could apply and have the request reviewed for possible reimbursement.

FEMA also requires that applicants submit reimbursement for funeral expenses that were not covered by other sources, including existing financial assistance programs, government agencies or other entities.

What if multiple people paid for a funeral?

If multiple people paid for a funeral, internment or burial, those people must register under the same application as an applicant or co-applicant. Alternatively, if people submit documents separately, the first applicant will get the funeral assistance to cover expenses for the person who died.

FEMA requires applicants to have receipts, funeral home contracts and other records that show the applicant’s name as the responsible party. The agency’s website also states, “We recognize that multiple individuals may have contributed to funeral expenses for one deceased individual. FEMA will work with applicants in these situations and those who submit multiple receipts for funeral expenses when their name does not appear on the receipt.”

What about people who paid for multiple funerals?

People who had to pay for multiple funerals can get up to $35,000, depending on how much they can prove they spent on those services.

How to apply

People seeking compensation should call the COVID-19 funeral assistance line at 1-844-684-6333 or 800-462-7585. The line will accept calls 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. A FEMA representative will help the caller register for an application. FEMA will have multilingual services, though the agency did not specify what languages representatives speak.

FEMA will ask for the applicant’s and deceased person’s Social Security numbers, as well as the applicant’s and deceased person’s dates of birth.

The applicant will also need to provide a current mailing address, telephone number, the place where the death happened, funeral insurance policy information, records of donations and other funeral assistance received, records of CARES Act grants and assistance from voluntary organizations and a routing and account number of a checking or savings account.

Applicants will get an application number, which they can then use to submit documents to FEMA. Those documents can be faxed, mailed or uploaded to disasterassistance.gov after the applicant creates an account on the website.

In addition to a death certificate listing COVID-19 or COVID-symptoms as a likely cause, applicants must produce receipts, funeral contracts and other records that have their name, life insurance proceeds and proof of funds received from other sources (i.e. funeral assistance and donations). According to the FEMA policy, life insurance proceeds are not considered funeral financial assistance that could disqualify someone from getting federal aid.

What expenses are covered?

FEMA lists several expenses related to funerals, interments and cremations that could get covered. Those include transportation for up to two people to identify the person who died.

Other coverable expenses include the transfer of remains, the cost of a casket or urn, a burial plot cremation niche, a marker, a headstone, a clergy or officiant services, funeral home equipment or staff, cremation or interment costs, death certificate production and certification costs and other expenses that might have been required by local or state laws.

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