FEMA’s COVID-19 funeral assistance fund still available

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency wants to remind people that money is available to help them pay for the funeral of a loved one who passed away from COVID-19.

FEMA’s COVID-19 funeral assistance fund has reimbursed nearly 10,000 people in Virginia.

To apply you can call the FEMA COVID hotline at 844-684-6333 Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. eastern time.

Applicants receive, on average, $6,000.

Nationwide, the fund has reimbursed nearly 247,000 people with a total of $1.8 billion.

Eligible applicants must provide death certificates of the loved one which lists COVID-19 as the cause of death along with proof of funeral expenses.

There is no online registration - just the hotline - where FEMA Region 3 Deputy Regional Administrator Janice Barlow said you’ll get the support you need in the application process.

“I know those individuals are trained to deal in bereavement,” she said of the hotline staff. “They are helping people walk through the process and they’re very understanding. And I know that these benefits have tremendously helped families deal with the financial burden of funeral expenses.

More than 100 people in the Roanoke area have received the assistance fund, with FEMA doling out to them about $425,000.

There is no deadline to apply, but FEMA suggests you do so as soon as you can.

It will take a few weeks to process your application.

You can learn more in our interview with FEMA here:

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