FEMA Covid-19 Assistance

FEMA helps families honor a loved one lost to Covid-19.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is offering qualified families up to $9,000 for funeral expenses incurred due to the death of a loved one from Covid-19

1/14/2022 UPDATE

The FEMA Funeral Assistance program is open and available to families who have lost a loved one due to COVID-19. Have questions about the program or are not sure where to start? Please contact our office (513) 521-7003 option #2 and ask to speak with Lisa McClain.

COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line Number

Applications began on April 12, 2021
844-684-6333 | TTY: 800-462-7585

Hours of Operation:
Monday – Friday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time

The links below contain some general information about this program

FEMA Funeral Assistance General Information Sheet (FEMA Website)

FEMA Funeral Assistance FAQ’s

Interview with Lisa McClain regarding FEMA Program (Aired April 5, 2021)

Thanks to the International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association (ICCFA) coordinating a Zoom video conference with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Arlington personnel had the opportunity to glean some basic information about the Covid-19 Funeral Assistance program.

Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Congress authorized FEMA to provide financial assistance to individuals who incurred COVID-19-related funeral expenses after January 20, 2020. On March 24, FEMA has issued its final policy including eligibility and documentation criteria and the application process for how funds will be distributed to families. Importantly, FEMA shared that the maximum financial assistance will now be $9,000 per funeral. Families will be able to begin applying for assistance in April 2021.

At this early date, we are in the detail-gathering phase. Still, we will work to comprehensively understand how the program works so that we will be able to help Arlington families served by the cemetery and/or funeral home. At this point, FEMA will be rolling out the mechanics and details “sometime in early April.” If you want to read more about this program, we suggest following this link, COVID-19 Funeral Assistance | FEMA.gov.

We aim to continue providing information as we learn more to make the application process as easy as possible for those who believe they qualify. We will continue to post updates on this site and on our Facebook page as they become available.

FRAUD ALERT – PLEASE NOTE: Per FEMA, they have received reports of scammers reaching out to people offering to register them for funeral assistance. FEMA has not sent such notifications and will not contact people before registering for assistance.