FEMA To Reimburse Funeral Expenses of Those Lost to COVID-10

ILLINOIS (WAND) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be reimbursing families of COVID-19 victims for funeral expenses.

FEMA announced they are setting aside $2 billion for funeral reimbursements throughout the nation. Millions of American families have had to cope with losing a loved one to COVID-19 while also figuring out how to pay proper respects.

Sunset Funeral Homes Co-Owner, Rich Darby, says the reimbursements will help give closure to families who have lost a loved who to COVID-19. " We have dealt with so many COVID deaths and family, you know, they lose a loved one, and never expected them to go this way so this, this is a great, I guess a great surprise to a you know a horrific situation."

Applications for reimbursements are set to open in April. FEMA says families need to show proof of death certificate claiming COVID-19 as the underlying cause of death as well as receipts for those funeral expenses. On their website, FEMA states,

"The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families. At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters. We are dedicated to helping ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the virus.

Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA will provide financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020.

We are working with stakeholder groups to get their input on ways we can best provide this assistance, and to enlist their help with outreach to families and communities. FEMA will begin to implement COVID-19 funeral assistance in April.

Additional guidance is being finalized and will be released to potential applicants and community partners as soon as possible. In the meantime, people who have COVID-19 funeral expenses are encouraged to keep and gather documentation."

Funeral homes, such as Sunset Funeral Homes, say they will help anyone through the FEMA Application process. "If any, anybody would have any questions, no matter what funeral home, if they lost their loved one, we'd be more than happy to walk them through and help them out, that's, that's what we're here for. We're here to help each other." Darby tells WAND News.

Visit FEMA's website for more information.