Has someone you know died of COVID-19? You can get help with funeral expenses

Steve LeBlanc -

When Wanda Olson's son-in-law died in March after contracting COVID-19, she and her daughter not only faced unexpected pain.

They also had to get the money for the cremation.

Even when they didn't hold a funeral, the family's expenses amounted to nearly $ 2,000, a hefty sum Olson paid initially.

Later, she and her daughter learned of a federal program that reimburses up to $ 9,000 for the funeral costs of loved ones who died of coronavirus.

Olson's daughter applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), received a deposit in June, and was able to reimburse her mother for the $ 1,974 spent.

[From Bethlehem to New York, COVID-19 once again tarnishes Christmas around the world]

"If this had not been available, we would have had to cover the expenses ourselves," said Olson, 80, who lives in Villa Rica, Georgia.

As of December 6, FEMA had spent nearly $ 1.5 billion on about 226,000 people to cover funeral costs that occurred after January 20, 2020, the date of the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the United States.

Requests for reimbursement of funeral expenses cannot be made online.Getty Images

Since the current death toll from coronavirus in the United States has exceeded 800,000, it is clear that many families who are eligible for a rebate have not yet taken advantage of this benefit.

His son-in-law traveled a lot for work.

He was working on air conditioning systems for theaters, restaurants and businesses when he began to feel ill, Olson said.

After a few days at home, he was admitted to a hospital and hooked up to a ventilator.

He died several weeks later.

"He couldn't win the battle," he lamented.

Who is eligible?

To be eligible for the reimbursement,

For people who died in the first months of the pandemic, from January 20 to May 16, 2020, death certificates must be accompanied by

relevant

indicating that the COVID-19 was the cause of death or one of the causes.

The percentage of people who have been awarded the rebate varies dramatically from state to state, from nearly 40% in North Carolina and Maryland to less than 15% in Idaho and Oregon, according to FEMA.

While reimbursement should go directly to individuals, some funeral directors have taken it upon themselves to inform affected families of the benefit.

After the benefit was first announced, David Shipper, owner of Sunset Funeral Home, Cremation Center & Cemetery, in Evansville, Indiana, began to let people know about the help available.

Airlines cancel or delay hundreds of flights due to crew shortage due to COVID-19

Dec. 24, 202100: 30

“$ 9,000 is a lot of money.

We wanted to find a way to tell people, ”he said.

"When we have a new family with a COVID death, we tell them about the program."

Funeral home workers sit down with affected families, gather necessary documentation, contact FEMA by phone and help them with the process, he said.

[Pfizer's COVID-19 pills may pose risks with other medicines]

Many families may simply be unaware that this benefit exists, but others choose not to claim reimbursement because of their grief, Shipper said, arguing that the best time to ask for help is before the funeral.

"They are much more likely to apply for aid at that point and not if they have already spent the money, because they may not want to go back on it," Shipper said.

The largest states have had the most applications for FEMA reimbursement.

The program has paid more than 21,000 reimbursements in California and Texas, which have reported more than 74,000 deaths from COVID-19.

Residents applied for more than $ 141 million in each state.

The fewest refunds have been in Vermont, where 123 people received a total of about $ 704,000.

It cannot be applied online

Expenses covered by the FEMA program include funeral services, cremation, and burial, as well as costs for caskets or urns, burial plots or cremation niches, headstones, transportation or transfer of remains, religious services, and more.

The program is funded by federal stimulus funds and there is still money available.

"We have a false idea that the pandemic is over," says a doctor before the advance of omicron

Dec. 21, 202103: 21

After receiving and verifying all required documents, it generally takes less than 30 days to determine if a person is eligible, according to FEMA.

Once eligibility is confirmed, direct deposit applicants can receive the money within days.

Those requesting a check may see more delay.

Reimbursement is a way to help ease the emotional and financial burden

the pandemic has placed on communities across the country, according to Ellen Wynn McBrayer, president of Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes & Crematory in Villa Rica, Georgia.

The businesswoman remembers a woman who lost her mother, her husband and one of her children to the disease in the span of six months.

One of the funeral home workers also succumbed to the virus.

"Having to help a grieving family is difficult on a normal day, but seeing so many deaths ..." he said.

"COVID has broken many hearts and claimed many lives."