[Photo: Shutterstock]
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is offering to provide financial relief for COVID-19-related funeral expenses as early as April 2021 as part of the CARES Act.

By Tom Gitaa

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is offering to provide financial relief for COVID-19-related funeral expenses as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The agency will start accepting applications as early as April 1.

The death should have occurred after January 20, 2020 in the United States, including U.S. territories.

The death certificate should attribute the death to COVID-19.

There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien and applicants need to be U.S. citizens, non-citizen national or qualified alien. The key requirement is that you incurred the funeral expenses.

FEMA said it will provide up to $9,000 per funeral and for those who lost multiple family members to COVID-19 eligible to apply for up to $35,000.

“At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters,” said Acting FEMA.

CONTINUE READING FOR MORE