FEMA Opens Application for COVID-19 Funeral Cost Assistance

Starting Monday, families who’ve lost a loved one to COVID-19 may apply for a reimbursement from the federal government for funeral expenses, which can add up to thousands of dollars.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is now offering assistance of up to $9,000 per funeral for a death in the U.S. attributed to COVID-19.

U.S. citizens and some categories of immigrants with a lawful immigration status may apply for FEMA funds by providing proof of funeral expenses, an official certificate linking the death to COVID and other documents. There are no income limits for applicants, according to the agency.

“This is the kind of program that we need in this community,” said Antonio López, a City Council member in East Palo Alto, where a majority low-income and Latino population has suffered one of the county’s highest COVID-19 case rates. “You don’t know how many times I’ve seen on Facebook and social media a GoFundMe for a funeral.”

In California, FEMA’s new funeral assistance program could help ease some of the financial stress for tens of thousands of families grieving loved ones during the pandemic, particularly in Latino communities that have been disproportionately impacted.

Statewide, 47% of those who’ve died due to COVID are Latino, even though Latinos make up only 39% of the population, according to California Department of Public Health figures.

The disparity is even greater among working-age Californians, as Latinos under 65 were four times more likely to die compared to white Californians in that age group.

For FEMA’s funeral assistance program to be effective and reach the neediest families, the federal government must also invest in outreach and help to apply, said López.

“You need to make it as easy as possible for the community to access those services,” López said. “If not, it is going to create a situation where the people who are relatively privileged are going to know about it and the ones who need it most are not going to apply.”

For more information on this aid, visit the COVID-19 FEMA Funeral Assistance website. To apply, call 1-844-684-6333 (TTY 1-800-462-7585). The phone line is open Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST.

— Farida Jhabvala Romero