On Monday, families who lost loved ones due to the COVID-19 pandemic can apply to get money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help cover funeral costs.
Norman Bastic is a traveling basketball coach who’s helped collect donations for kids who lost family members to COVID-19.
”It was sad. You know, we did whatever we could,” he said. “We did everything we could to help families that have those type of issues that passed from COVID.
”Now, the government is stepping up to help, too.
Starting Monday, April 12, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is helping families cover the costs of funeral expenses from COVID-19-related deaths.
FEMA is offering to cover up to $9,000 and up to $35,000 for families that lost more than one loved one.
”When you die all of a sudden, then yeah you’re not expecting those expenses and it is costly,” Bastic said.
So, just how costly is it?
Darryl Patterson, owner of Patterson Funeral Services, could tell you first hand.
“When you talk about cost of cremation, it’s gonna start somewhere around maybe $700 dollars,” Patterson explained.
”Burials, they’re gonna start, you know, every bit of $5,000, minimum of $5,000,” he added.
At Patterson Cremation and Funeral Service, they’ve helped plan 200 COVID-19-related funerals since 2020.
Bastic thinks it will bring comfort to families who need it.
”I feel like it could be a huge, amazing dividend,” he said. “And any COVID relief in regard to finances could make a huge difference, I believe.”
To apply, you can call FEMA’s hotline at 844-684-6333 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT.
To be eligible for funeral assistance, you must meet these requirements:
• 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.
• The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after Jan. 20, 2020.
• There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien.FEMA also recommends holding on to the following documents:
• 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 include the applicant’s name, the deceased person’s name, the funeral expenses amount and the dates the funeral expenses happened.
• Proof of funds received from other sources specifically for use toward funeral costs.
FEMA stated it’s not able to duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral insurance, financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, government agencies or other sources.
If you’re eligible, you can choose to receive a check by mail or funds by direct deposit.
To read more information, click here.
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