Federal funeral reimbursements available for COVID cases

Italian-American Herald

New Castle County Register of Wills Ciro Poppiti and New Castle County funeral directors hosted a videoconference May 13 to announce a new program by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that will reimburse out-of-pocket funeral expenses up to $9,000 for people whose deaths were related to COVID-19.

Program requirements:
• The death must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.
• The death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19.
• The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after Jan. 20, 2020.

To apply, contact FEMA at 844-684-6333 for assistance. No online applications are being accepted. The phone call takes about 20 minutes, and applicants are reminded to gather relevant documentation before calling, including an official death certificate that attributes the death directly or indirectly to COVID-19; funeral expenses documents that include the applicant’s name, the deceased person’s name, the amount of funeral expenses, and the dates the funeral expenses happened; and proof of funds received from other sources specifically for use toward funeral costs.