FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance

FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program can help pay for funerals when someone dies from COVID-19. If you qualify, you may receive up to $9,000 toward funeral expenses. Although the COVID-19 national emergency ended on May 11, 2023, FEMA will continue to provide COVID-19 funeral assistance until September 30, 2025.

Am I eligible for the COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program?

You must meet some requirements to qualify for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance. These include:

• You must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified non-citizen.
• The death happened in the U.S. or its territories.
• The death was caused by COVID-19.
• You are responsible for the funeral expenses incurred on or after January 20, 2020.

How do I prepare to apply?

There are many documents you will need to provide to FEMA when applying for funeral assistance. Preparing beforehand and collecting the necessary documents can save time and ease the application process. The following documents are required:

• A certified death certificate showing the death happened in the U.S. (including territories), was caused by COVID-19, and occurred on or after January 20, 2020.
• A signed funeral home contract, invoice, or receipt that includes:
  • Your name, showing you paid some or all costs
  • The name of the person who died
  • A breakdown of each expense
  • Dates proving the costs were incurred on or after January 20, 2020

Note: If the death certificate is dated between January 20 and May 16, 2020, it must either say that COVID-19 was a direct or indirect cause of death or include a signed note from the person who filled out the certificate saying that COVID-19 caused or played a part in the death.

How do I apply for FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program?

To apply for funeral assistance, you must call FEMA's COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Helpline at 844-684-6333. Agents are available Monday–Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST. You must apply by phone with a FEMA agent—you cannot apply online.

During your phone call, you will be asked to give the following information:

• Your Social Security number and date of birth
• The Social Security number and date of birth of the person who died
• Your current mailing address and phone number
• The address where the person died
• Whether the person had any burial or funeral insurance
• Whether you received any other help paying for the funeral (like donations, CARES Act funds, state or local help, or support from charities)
• If you want the money sent by direct deposit (If so, you’ll need to give your bank’s routing number and your checking or savings account number)

After applying over the phone, you must submit supporting documents (funeral home contracts, receipts, invoices, and death certificate) in one of the following ways:

• Create a DisasterAssistance.gov account and upload the documents online
• Fax required documents to 855-261-3452
• Mail documents to:

FEMA
P.O. Box 10001
Hyattsville, MD 20782

Note: During your call, the FEMA agent will provide you with a FEMA application number. You will need to include this number on any documentation you submit to FEMA.

What happens after I apply?

Once FEMA gets all your required documents, it takes about 45 days to decide if you qualify. If your application is approved, the money will be sent to your bank account or mailed to you as a check from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, depending on the option you chose while applying. You’ll get a letter letting you know you were approved, and the money usually arrives a few days later.

What if I need help applying?

If you need help applying for FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance, you can:

• Visit a Disaster Recovery Center
• Email AskIA@fema.dhs.gov
• Visit FEMA’s Funeral Assistance FAQ page
• Call the FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Helpline at 844-684-6333