COVID-19 Funeral Assistance
Dear Friends and Family,
The last year has been nothing like any of us would have expected. Due to these once in a generation circumstances, Congress passed legislation allowing The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide financial assistance for families who have lost loved ones due to COVID-19. To be eligible for funeral assistance, you must meet these conditions:
The death must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.
The death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19.
The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020.
There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien.
How to Apply
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line Number Applications begin on April 12, 2021
844-684-6333 | TTY: 800-462-7585
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time
If you had COVID-19 funeral expenses, we encourage you to keep and gather documentation. Types of information should include:
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.
Additional Information may be found at https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance
This reimbursement is for up to $9,000. If you do not have a copy of your funeral expense documents already, please reach out to your funeral service provider for a copy of your funeral home contract and receipt. Proof of payment beyond that must be provided by the applicant in the form of a canceled check or credit card statement. Official death certificates may be obtained by contacting the City Hall in City/Town in which your loved one passed away. Boston death certificates may be obtained https://registry.boston.gov/death
We are happy to discuss this further with you. You may contact us at [email protected] or by phone Monday-Friday 10AM-2PM at 617-569-0990.
As always, your family remains in our thoughts and prayers
Joe Ruggiero and Staff of the Ruggiero Family Memorial