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Photo Credit: FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)
It has been quite a few months since I have written about COVID difficulties and the obstacles to proper farewells the pandemic has wrought on grieving families. The emails I receive daily contain information from the state health department, churches, cemeteries, and caterers that address difficulties in providing services that meet the needs of family and the community.
The Federal emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has recently introduced a benefit plan to assist those who have experienced the loss of family to the Corona Virus. The benefit pays a maximum of $9000 to reimburse Expenses Directly related to funeral, memorial, cemetery or crematory services.
Known as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Funeral Assistance program, it is ambitious when considering that our county has lost approximately 600,000 people to the virus. Both FEMA and the National Funeral Directors Association have done a good job of disseminating information to aid in proper applications. You will find information on our funeral home website http://www.gearty-delmore.com and on our FaceBook page.
Our phones have rung several times since the rollout from FEMA, so I thought I would answer some of the most common questions.
What is the website address at FEMA to apply?
Applications begin with a toll-free phone call to 1-884-684-6333 from 9 AM to 9 PM ET, Monday-Friday. Following the approximate 20-minute phone application, documentation can be submitted online through Disasterassistance.gov, or by fax to 855-261-3452 or mailed to COVID-19 Funeral Assistance, PO Box 10001, Hyattsville, MD 20782.
What documents are usually required?
The required documents include a copy of the death certificate stating the death as being COVD-19 related, a statement from the funeral home or cemetery showing expenses incurred, and proof of any assistance received from any other source.
Can the funeral home apply on my behalf?
No. Only the individual who incurred the expenses can apply. The funeral home
cannot be the co-applicant, nor receive the payment directly from FEMA. The funeral home
can help by supplying you with the proper documentation for the application.
Can more than one person apply for the same individual?
FEMA will generally only provide COVID-19 Funeral Assistance to one applicant per deceased individual. Coordination will be necessary between the parties who shared in the payment of services. There can be one applicant and one co-applicant per individual.
Are pre-paid funerals eligible for reimbursement?
The FEMA directives say that “any source of payment designated specifically to pay for a funeral in anticipation of a future death cannot be reimbursed under this assistance. This includes pre-paid funeral insurance, pre-paid funeral contract, a pre-paid trust for funeral expenses, or an irrevocable trust for Medicare.”
I have highlighted what appears to be the most sought after information. There are many more answers and instructions at FEMA.gov/funeral-assistance/faq.
The first time I wrote about the effects of the pandemic, the subject was how many families would not be able to properly say good-bye. Our earliest funerals were limited to twenty people, with families that could total more than 70 members. I wrote of being in churches where grandkids were either in their cars in the parking lot or leaning in the open doors on the sidewalk. Hundreds of obituary notices have stated “services to be scheduled when we can all safely gather.” We have many pending services waiting completion and closure.
The FEMA Funeral Assistance is specifically limited to funeral, memorial, burial, and cremation services. While it will not reimburse flowers, receptions, food or obituaries; it will allow survivors to schedule memorial services at funeral homes and churches and assist in defraying the expenses of clergy, niche or plot expenses, casket or urn.
As Spring arrives and the vaccines take hold, hopefully this added resource will provide the nudge needed to schedule services to properly acknowledge a life well-lived and provide a proper farewell.
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