Walton’s Funerals & Cremations is here to support families with the FEMA Funeral Assistance program. If you have any questions regarding the program, please contact us today.

Funeral expenses for COVID patients now being reimbursed by FEMA (KOLO NewsNow)

Starting April 12, 2021, individuals who have lost loved ones due to COVID-19 and who have incurred funeral and cemetery expenses after January 20, 2020, are eligible for reimbursement up to $9,000.  This is a reimbursement program ONLY and ONLY the person who incurred the expenses can submit an application with their proper documentation.  ONLY one application per deceased can be submitted. 

Funeral homes and other entities are NOT allowed to apply on behalf of someone else.  If multiple deaths have occurred due to COVID in the same household, there is a cap of $35,000 per household.   

Here are the eligibility and other requirements:
 

• The death certificate must indicate COVID as a contributing cause of death.
• Funeral and/or cemetery expenses must have occurred after 1/20/2020 – It doesn’t matter if the death was prior to this date.  The key factor is that the incurred expense is after 1/20/2020.  All funeral home and cemetery related expenses are eligible for reimbursement.  If the death and original expenses incurred were prior to 1/20/2020 but now the family wishes to have a service, purchase an upgraded urn, keepsakes, jewelry, purchase cemetery property for cremated remains, etc. and they incur expenses now, these current expenses are eligible for reimbursement.
• If the deceased had a prepaid funeral plan, the charges that were prepaid are not eligible.  However, if funeral/cemetery expenses were incurred beyond what was prepaid in the plan, those additional charges are eligible for reimbursement.  
• If the deceased had a general life insurance policy, such as New York Life, Metropolitan Life, etc., this is not considered a prepaid funeral plan, so the funeral/cemetery expenses are eligible for reimbursement.
• The application process can only be started by a phone call (see below).  Again, the only person who can make application is the one who incurred the expenses.  FEMA has 5,000 staff members available to assist applicants.  There is no end date for the program at this point, and they have no concern they will run out of funds.
• Supporting documentation includes the death certificate (must indicate COVID), the itemized funeral home contract with charges, cemetery contract with charges (if applicable), receipt(s) proving the individual paid all expenses, and a copy of the prepaid funeral plan, if charges were incurred beyond the items listed in the prepaid agreement. 

FEMA will begin accepting applications for Funeral Assistance on Monday, April 12, 2021 through their dedicated call center.
  
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line Number
  
Applications begin on April 12, 2021
844-684-6333 | TTY: 800-462-7585
  
Hours of Operation:
Monday – Friday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time