FEMA Funeral Assistance

Updated: May 16, 2023

On April 12, 2021 FEMA will begin accepting applications for financial reimbursement for funeral expenses incurred for deaths related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) after January 20, 2020.

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

When does the application window close?

The federal State of Emergency declared during the coronavirus pandemic officially ended on May 11, 2023 however FEMA will continue to accept and process funeral reimbursement applications for another two years. The deadline to apply for funeral reimbursement for deaths related to COVID-19 is September 30, 2025.

Who is eligible to apply?

The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses for a death attributed to COVID-19 after January 20, 2020. They do not need to be the next-of-kin or executor but their name needs to be on the funeral home contract, bill or receipted statement (receipt). A minor child (a child under the age of 18 years old) cannot apply on behalf of a non-U.S. citizen. However, if the minor directly incurred the expense of the funeral themself and there is sufficient proof, FEMA will consider their application.

The death must have taken place in the United States, territories or District of Columbia. The cause of death must be related to COVID-19. The deceased individual (decedent) did not have to be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national nor qualified alien.

If multiple people contributed to the funeral, they must apply under a single application as applicant and co-applicant. If more than two people incurred expenses for the same funeral, FEMA will consider receipts from individuals other than the applicant or co-applicant as long as the documentation is submitted with the same application. It is important to note that only the applicant needs to be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien; the co-applicant and other individuals submitting receipts do not have to be U.S. citizens.

FEMA can accept one application per decedent and will only issue one lump sum payment. They will send the payment to the applicant- they will not divide it up among co-applicants or other individuals who submitted documentation for the application. If you are planning a memorial service at a later date, we recommend waiting until all services are complete before starting an application.

Funeral Homes cannot submit applications on their client’s behalf. However, we are here to help with any questions you may have or documentation you may need.

Documentation and Information Needed

To prepare for the application process, we recommend having the following information at hand:

Social Security Numbers for the decedent and applicant

Dates of Birth for the decedent and applicant

Current Mailing Address for applicant

Current Phone Number for applicant

Location or Address where the death occurred

Routing and Account Number of the applicant’s checking or savings account if requesting direct deposit

Information about burial or funeral insurance policies (these are insurance policies specifically for funding a funeral and are often different than life insurance policies)

Information about other funeral assistance received (such as donations, crowd-funding, go-fund-me, etc.)

Information about assistance received from government or voluntary organizations (Medicaid, Firemen’s Benevolent Association, etc.)

Funds set aside specifically for funeral expenses (i.e. a death benefit) or received from outside sources (Medicaid, donations, volunteer organizations) are considered “duplicate benefits” and will not be reimbursed. FEMA will only reimburse what was not covered by these additional services. For example, if the funeral expenses incurred totaled $4,000 and donations covered $3,000, FEMA would potentially reimburse the individual who incurred the expense the remaining $1,000. The assistance is limited to a maximum financial amount of $9,000 per funeral and a maximum of $35,000 per application if the applicant is applying for assistance for more than one funeral.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call at 973-239-2060.