Are pre-planned and pre-paid funerals eligible for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance if the individual died from COVID-19?
The COVID-19 incident period ended on May 11, 2023. FEMA will continue to provide funeral assistance until Sept. 30, 2025, to those who have lost loved ones due to this pandemic.
No.
Any source of payment designated specifically to pay for a funeral prior to death is considered a duplication and is not eligible for reimbursement. COVID-19 Funeral Assistance may not duplicate burial or funeral insurance proceeds, pre-planned or pre-paid funeral contracts, pre-paid trusts for funeral expenses, irrevocable trusts for Medicaid, financial assistance from voluntary organizations, government programs or agencies, or any other sources specifically designated for funeral expenses. Eligible COVID-19 Funeral Assistance expenses will be reduced by the amount of other assistance you received for the same expenses.
To be eligible for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance, you must provide documentation showing you incurred COVID-19-related funeral expenses on or after January 20, 2020. FEMA cannot provide financial assistance that duplicates any source of funding designated specifically to pay for a funeral prior to the death or for a death not attributed to COVID-19.