The number of deaths associated with Covid-19 has been nothing short of heartbreakingly tragic and for many, those deaths were completely unexpected leaving many families struggling to pay for funeral expenses for the loved ones they lost.

According to a recent post from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, FEMA will begin offering financial aid for those who have incurred funeral expenses because of the coronavirus pandemic. The info graphic shared from FEMA says the financial assistance is intended to "ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the pandemic."

FEMA is offering financial assistance for funeral expenses that were incurred after January 20, 2020 for deaths that happened in the United States. Covid-19 must be included on the death certificate as attributing to the death. And while the applicant must be "U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020," there are no similar requirement for the deceased.

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According to FEMA, you will need to gather the documents and information prior to applying for aid,

  • 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 includes the applicant’s name, the deceased person’s name, the amount of funeral expenses, and the dates the funeral expenses happened.
  • Proof of funds received from other sources specifically for use toward funeral costs. We are not able to duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral insurance, financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, government agencies, or other sources.

If your application for aid is accepted, funds will be distributed via direct deposit or applicants will receive a check by mail. To apply, you can call Monday - Friday, 9am - 9pm EST, 800-462-7585. That is a toll-free number dedicated to helping get applications completed. FEMA offers multi-lingual services as well. FEMA has said that they are experiencing high call volumes so if your call doesn't connect or you receive a busy signal, they encourage you to try your call at a later time. They also say that there is no deadline for application so you have time to make that call and complete your application.

 

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

 

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