Breckenridge Texan

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is offering assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses, helping ease some of the financial stress created by the pandemic.

The financial assistance for funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020, is being provided through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. There is no deadline to apply, according to information from FEMA.

JB Sparks, owner of Melton-Kitchens Funeral Home in Breckenridge, said the funeral home staff is prepared to offer its assistance to the families it served who think they may be eligible to apply for a reimbursement. 

“We want to help our families in every way possible – before, during, and after the funeral,” Sparks said. “Now that families are able to apply for reimbursement for COVID-19 related deaths, we want to help those families through the application process so they can receive some much-needed financial relief. We’re grateful to be able to help our families in this way.”

Any family who paid funeral expenses for a loved one whose cause of death was determined to be “COVID related” could be eligible to apply for a reimbursement (as long as the expenses were incurred after January 20, 2020).

According to FEMA, to be eligible for funeral assistance, applicants must meet these conditions:

• The death must have occurred in the United States. The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after Jan. 20, 2020.
• The death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19.
• There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien.

 The Melton-Kitchens staff can sit down with interested families to:

• Answer questions about the process and what expenses are eligible for reimbursement
• Gather the necessary expense documentation
• Provide resources and links to additional information
• Offer support throughout the process

According to the FEMA website, families can submit multiple applications, if there was more than one COVID-19 related death in the family. The assistance is limited to a maximum financial amount of $9,000 per funeral and a maximum of $35,500 per application.

“We’d also like families to know that if they were unable to have a full service because of COVID restrictions at the time of their loved one’s death, they can plan that service now and still request reimbursement,” Sparks said.

To learn more about FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program and application process, you can contact FEMA directly at 844-684-6333 (TTY: 800-462-7585), call Melton-Kitchens Funeral Home at 254-559-3311, or go to meltonkitchens.com/resources/covid-19-fema-resources

For the fastest service, after you have called to apply, submit documentation online through Disasterassistance.gov, or by fax 855-261-3452. Documents may also be mailed to: COVID-19 Funeral Assistance P.O. Box 10001 Hyattsville, MD 20782.

Applicants can also visit FEMA.gov/funeral-assistance/faq. Information is provided in several languages both by telephone and the website.