As of Tuesday, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency had provided more than $2 billion in COVID-19 funeral assistance to more than 300,000 applicants.
Approximately 963,244 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19 as of Wednesday, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19 can apply for up to $9,000 for each deceased individual or up to $35,000 for families. Since FEMA began providing funeral assistance on April 12 of last year, the average amount of assistance awarded has been $6,500.
According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the average cost of a funeral with burial in 2021 was approximately $7,848 and the median cost of a funeral with cremation was approximately $6,971.
Early on in the pandemic, lawmakers were calling for a funeral support program, ProPublica reported. By May – around two months after the pandemic was declared – Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced a House bill offering up to $10,000 in assistance per deceased individual. According to the Associated Press, former President Donald Trump signed the current program into law during the last days of his administration.
FEMA said the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan gave FEMA the authority to provide the funeral assistance and provided the funds for this program. Since the $2 billion provided in the initial bill has been exhausted, continued funding comes from the American Rescue Plan.
Already, the program is the “largest offering of funeral assistance,” in FEMA history.
So far, the states that have received the most funds are:
1. Texas, more than $189 million
2. New York, close to $169 million
3. California, more than $168 million
4. Florida, more than $125 million
5. Pennsylvania, more than $102 million
“I just received my deposit from FEMA Disaster Assistance,” said a letter one applicant sent to the agency. “This deposit covers both the funeral and burial expenses of my mother who died from COVID. She fought bravely against the virus...it is very hard to accept the fact that she is no longer with us. That's why I am addressing this letter to FEMA, to show my deepest gratitude for the financial assistance in matter of burial and funeral expenses provided to me.”
However, The New York Times reported last month that some applicants were struggling to get funds. It has been particularly difficult for this with loved ones who suffered from COVID-19 along with other complications or illnesses.
“It is bureaucratic and it prevents closure, but also we really need the death benefits,” said Kerri Raissian, who said her father’s death certificate erroneously did not list COVID-19 as a cause of death.
FEMA announced Tuesday that it is launching a new outreach campaign and that it will continue to process applications.
“FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program has helped provide over 300,000 people with critical financial relief during a time of such unexpected, unimaginable and wide spread loss,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “Our new outreach campaign is designed to reach families, especially across underserved communities, where the cost of a funeral can be a financial burden to a loved one. Our goal is to help families apply for assistance, as well as submit all required documents for existing applications.”
These advertisements will be directed to localities identified with high rates of COVID-related deaths, low funeral assistance application rates and a high Social Vulnerability Index data – California, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas – said FEMA.
Additionally, FEMA has planned media roundtables with community outlets in African American, Hispanic and Latino and Asian American Pacific Islander communities “to encourage local press to help spread the word about the Funeral Assistance program.”
FEMA also has multilingual services, available through the Funeral Assistance Helpline, features 76 different languages when requested by the caller. Anyone with questions about the program or who wants to apply can call 888-684-6333 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EDT.
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