Information Guide
FEMA Phone Number: (844) 684-6333
Families must call to start the application process.
There will be a questionnaire to determine eligibility. Once eligible, there will have to provide documentation.
The applicant must provide the following documents:
A copy of the death certificate. The death certificate must indicate the death “may have been caused by” or “was likely a result of” COVID-19 or COVID-19-like symptoms. Similar phrases that indicate a high likelihood of COVID-19 are also considered sufficient.
Proof of funeral expenses incurred. Documentation (e.g., receipts, funeral home contract, etc.) must include the applicant’s name as the responsible person for the expense, the decedent’s name, the amount of funeral expenses, and that funeral expenses were incurred after January 20, 2020.
Eligible funeral expenses include but are not limited to:
- Transportation for up to two individuals to identify the deceased individual
- Transfer of remains
- Casket or urn
- Burial plot or cremation niche
- Marker or headstone
- Clergy or officiant services
- Arrangement of the funeral ceremony
- Use of funeral home equipment or staff
- Cremation or interment costs
- Costs associated with producing and certifying multiple death certificates
- Additional expenses mandated by any applicable local or state government laws or ordinances
Information Letter
Contact:
Brian K. Roeder, President/Owner
(402) 496-9000 or brian@roedermortuary.com
FEMA to Provide Assistance with Funeral Costs for COVID-19-Related Deaths
You and your family may be eligible for a special program from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that offers funeral assistance to families that have experienced the death of a loved one due to COVID-19. Financial assistance of up to $9,000 for certain expenses that families have incurred as they laid a loved one to rest (e.g., funeral and memorial services and burial and cremation). It covers eligible expenses for the services you’ve already paid for when your loved one died. And, as our community becomes safer, your family may choose to plan a memorial service in your loved one’s honor that includes all of your family and friends – something that many families are finding to be a meaningful experience. Those expenses may also be covered.
The FEMA website has complete information about eligibility requirements, documentation you will be required to provide as part of your application (e.g., a copy of your loved one’s death certificate and proof of funeral expenses incurred), and how to start the application process. Visit https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance.
If there is anything we can do to assist you with the application process – such as by ordering copies of a death certificate or providing copies of receipts or contracts showing the expenses you incurred – please call us at (402) 496-9000.
You may also call FEMA, to start the process, at: (844) 684-6333
