PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The federal government opened the window on Monday for applications from family members to cover the funeral expenses of people who died of COVID-19.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will pay up to $9,000 for individual funerals and up to $35,500 for multiple funerals for people from the same household.
Kathleen Ryan, executive director of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association, said those applying will have to call a toll-free number — 844-684-6333 — between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. EDT to make contact with FEMA.
“I hope that there are multiple lines and a lot of people that can assist these families,” she said.
Ryan also advises callers to make sure they have all the paperwork from the funeral on hand.
“Make sure those documents are in chronological order and organized,” she said.
George Kelder, chief executive officer of the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, said among those documents should be a death certificate.
He said in some cases early in the pandemic, death certificates were issued pending a COVID-19 test or toxicology tests, and that document may have to be amended.
“The family really will need to reach out with the medical certifier – the physician, the doctor who executed the death certificate – in order to begin that amendment, process because COVID-19 must be listed somewhere on those four lines for a cause or manner of death on a death certificate,” he explained.
Kelder also warned that scammers already are at work trying to profit from the FEMA aid.
“FEMA does not know you exist,” he said. “You must make that initial call to their toll-free number. Only after you have identified yourself will FEMA be back in touch with you.”
Kelder said the best thing to do for anyone who gets an unsolicited call from someone claiming to represent FEMA is to hang up.
More information on the COVID-19 funeral assistance program is available on the FEMA website.