Are you in need of assistance in paying the funeral expenses for a deceased loved one who’s death was attributed to COVID-19?
FEMA is providing financial assistance to ease some of the financial burden on loved ones who have unexpectedly lost someone due to COVID-19 under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
To be eligible, 1) the death must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia; 2) the death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19; and 3) you, as the applicant, must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020.
You will want to keep documentation such as an official death certificate as well as documents that indicate the funeral expenses, such as receipts or a funeral home contract; this documentation must state your name, the name of your deceased loved one, the amount of funeral expenses paid, and the date of the expense. You will need to disclose any funds you received from other sources, such as a payout from a burial or funeral insurance policy, financial assistance from voluntary agencies or government agencies.
Contact information for FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line can be found on their website at: https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance.
Andrea Nelson is an attorney at Hamblett & Kerrigan who focuses her practice in the area of estate planning, including wills, trusts, health and financial powers of attorney, as well as trust and estate administration. Attorney Nelson can be reached at [email protected].