FEMA Reaches One Year Mark of COVID-19 Funeral Assistance, Provides More Than $2.1 Billion to Families

Release Date Release Number
HQ-22-047
Release Date:
April 13, 2022

WASHINGTON -- Over the past year, FEMA has provided more than $2.1 billion in COVID-19 funeral assistance to 326,000 applicants grappling with the financial stress and burden caused by the pandemic.

Committed to reaching all affected communities, the agency launched a targeted outreach campaign this month. Paid advertisements are directed to localities identified with high rates of COVID-19-related deaths, low funeral assistance application rates and a high Social Vulnerability Index score.

The advertisements help ensure information about FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program reaches underserved communities who have experienced a high COVID-19 death rate. The ads are running in San Bernardino, California; Bronx County, New York; Philadelphia; and Hidalgo, Texas.

In its first year, COVID-19 funeral assistance has:

  • Awarded over $2.1 billion to assist 326,000 applicants.
  • Provided a $6,500 average award.
  • Maintained a 97% eligibility approval rate.
  • Supported 76 languages through the toll-free COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Helpline.
  • Translated 13 web pages and 29 languages for an informational one-pager.

Eligible applicants may qualify for up to $9,000 for each deceased individual per application, with a maximum of $35,500 for applicants who may have incurred funeral expenses for multiple individuals due to COVID-19.

Additional information, including eligibility requirements, can be found at COVID-19 Funeral Assistance | FEMA.gov.

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