US helps pay for funerals of COVID victims

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government has disbursed more than $2 billion to help more than 300,000 families pay for funerals for coronavirus victims, the agency in charge of the program announced Tuesday as it launched a campaign to raise public awareness of the availability of such assistance.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recalled that the government is willing to pay up to $9,000 for the funeral of anyone who died of COVID-19 since January 20, 2020. On average, disbursements have been around $6,500, the agency added.

More than 965,000 people have died in the United States from the virus.

The care program “has given more than 300,000 people financial aid in times of such acute, unexpected and unimaginable losses,” FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said in a statement.

The agency has launched an awareness campaign in California, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas, specifically in areas with high mortality rates from COVID-19 but with few requests for assistance. It is also reaching out to community groups and the media to help spread the word.

“Our awareness campaign is designed to reach families, especially those in disadvantaged communities, where the cost of a funeral can be a financial burden,” Criswell said.

“Our goal is to help families apply for that help and get all the documents needed to push orders already delivered,” he added.

In order to receive the aid, the family must submit a death certificate, dated after May 16, 2020, stating that COVID-19 was the cause of death.

For deaths that occurred in the first months of the pandemic — from January 20 to May 16, 2020 — the death certificate must have attached a signed statement from a medical examiner or official saying that COVID-19 was the main cause or contributing cause of death.

The FEMA program covers expenses such as funeral, cremation, burial, casket or urn, tomb or mausoleum, tombstone, body transfer, officiant, and use of funeral home staff or equipment.

The program was initially approved in the final days of Donald Trump's presidency, but began accepting applications after President Joe Biden took office. Initially, the program had $2 billion, but those funds were depleted in recent days.

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Steve LeBlanc contributed to this note.