PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it will help pay funeral expenses for families of those who died of COVID-19.
The agency, whose mission is responding to disasters, got an allocation under the American Rescue Plan Act to provide the financial aid.
George Kelder, CEO of the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, said the funds would go directly to a surviving family member.
“Reimbursement would go back to that next of kin to either help them and assist them in a partial payment or in full or help them pay off the bill if the bill was still outstanding,” he explained.
Kelder said FEMA is still developing guidelines for the program and amounts to be paid.
“I’m uncertain as to what the ultimate numbers will look like once FEMA publishes them and how it will be put in play because of the size of the destruction the pandemic has left on the U.S.,” he said.
“Like so many other situations that families have experienced during COVID, this is just one more piece of the pie that will help really needy families to take care of loved ones,” said Kathleen Ryan, executive director of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association.
Ryan said FEMA hasn’t spelled out exactly how the reimbursements will work.
“There are regulations or policies, guidance, whatever the appropriate term is that they’re going to put together to help all of us figure out – number one – who’s eligible and what hoops they have to jump through to obtain the funds,” she said.
Ryan advised families to gather up all of their paperwork related to the funeral for their loved ones.
“Hang on to the statement of funeral goods and services which is the contract between the funeral home and the consumer as well as invoices and any evidence of payment from whatever source,” she said.
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