Special to Atmore News
As part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020.
Different eligibility rules apply for deaths that occurred from January 20, 2020 through May 16, 2020 and those that occurred after May 16, 2020.
To apply for the benefits, call FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Helpline at 844-684-6333 (TTY 800-462-7585) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
If you use a relay service, such as your videophone, Innocaption or CapTel, please provide your specific number assigned to that service. It is important that FEMA is able to contact you, and you should be aware phone calls from FEMA may come from an unidentified number.
On June 29, FEMA amended the funeral assistance policy to assist with COVID-related deaths that occurred in the early months of the pandemic.
The policy change will allow applicants to submit a signed statement from the certifying official on the death certificate or the local medical examiner, or coroner, that attributes the death to COVID-19 deaths that occurred between January 20 and May 16, 2020.
To be eligible for funeral assistance, you must meet these conditions:
- For deaths that occurred after May 16, 2020, the death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19.
- For deaths that occurred from January 20 to May 16, 2020, any death certificate that does not attribute the cause of death to COVID-19 must be accompanied by a signed statement listing COVID-19 as a cause or contributing cause of death.
The signed statement must be provided by the original certifier of the death certificate or the local medical examiner or coroner from the jurisdiction in which the death occurred. The statement must provide an additional explanation, or causal pathway, linking the cause of death listed on the death certificate to COVID-19.
If you had COVID-19 funeral expenses, FEMA encourages you to keep and gather documentation, including the official death certificate that shows the death occurred in the United States, including District of Columbia and the U.S. territories.
If the death certificate was issued from January 20 to May 16, 2020, it must either attribute the death directly or indirectly to COVID-19 or be accompanied by a signed statement from the original certifier of the death certificate or the local medical examiner or coroner from the jurisdiction in which the death occurred, listing COVID-19 as a cause or contributing cause of death.
This signed statement must provide an additional explanation, or causal pathway, linking the cause of death listed on the death certificate to COVID-19.
If the death certificate was issued May 17, 2020 or later, the death certificate must attribute the death directly or indirectly to COVID-19.
If you are eligible for funeral assistance, you will receive a check by mail, or funds by direct deposit, depending on which option you chose when you applied for assistance.