Do you know anyone who died from Covid?
If you do, please let them know that they may be able to get $9,000. And no, this is not a scam.
FEMA has started a Covid-19 funeral assistance program. It’s real and it really does reimburse up to $9,000 for funeral expenses for deaths “caused by” Covid or “may have been caused by” Covid or “likely a result of” Covid or Covid like symptoms. If the death certificate doesn’t list one of these as the cause of death, then you are not going to get any money. Your only hope of taking advantage of this program would be to try to amend the death certificate.
And you can get this money even if there was life insurance. (But burial insurance and pre-paid funerals “are not eligible for reimbursement.”) Nor does this program have a resource test or income test. In other words, even rich people are eligible.
As of now, the only way to apply for this program is by phone. That’s right, you can’t start an application by mail or over the internet. And you can’t ask the funeral home to do it for you. FEMA will only take applications from individuals. The phone number to call is 844-684-6333. And to find out more information about the program, use this link: Funeral Assistance FAQ | FEMA.gov
One final point: although this program is real, there are a whole bunch of scam artists who will try to use it to steal your money or your identity. If you haven’t called to apply for the program but you get a phone call from a supposed FEMA representative, that’s as scam. Hang up.