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FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families. Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020.

FEMA Contact Information

Frequently Asked Questions

They are currently accepting applications.

To be eligible for funeral assistance, you must meet these conditions:

  • The death must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.
  • The death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to or caused by COVID-19.
  • The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020.
  • There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien.

Examples of eligible expenses for funeral services and interment or cremation may include, but not limited to:

  • Transportation for up to two people to identify the deceased individual
  • The transfer of remains, a casket or urn
  • A burial plot or cremation niche
  • A marker or headstone
  • Clergy or officiant services
  • The arrangement of a funeral ceremony
  • The use of funeral home equipment or staff
  • Cremation or interment costs
  • Costs associated with producing multiple death certificates

Please have the following information before contacting FEMA to apply:

  • Your name, social security number, date of birth, mailing address and contact phone numbers.
  • The name, social security number and date of birth for each deceased individual.
  • The location or address where the deceased individual passed away.
  • Documentation and receipts for any assistance already received from other sources, including burial or funeral insurance, donations, voluntary agencies, other government programs or non-profit organizations.
  • If you and another person both incurred funeral expenses for the same deceased individual(s), you can also provide that person as a co-applicant — include their name, social security number and date of birth on the application

You must provide a copy of the death certificate, proof of funeral expenses incurred, and proof of assistance received from any other source.

  • The death certificate must indicate the death was caused by, “may have been caused by” or “was likely a result of” COVID-19 or COVID-19-like symptoms. Similar phrases that indicate a high likelihood of COVID-19 are considered sufficient attribution.
  • The death must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, or the District of Columbia.
  • COVID-19 Funeral Assistance is not available for the funeral expenses of U.S. citizens who died outside the United States.
  • Documentation for expenses (receipts, funeral home contract, etc.) must include the applicant’s name as the person responsible for the expense, the deceased individual’s name, the amount of funeral expenses, and that funeral expenses were incurred after January 20, 2020.
  • The applicant must also provide FEMA with proof of funds received from other sources specifically used for funeral costs. COVID-19 Funeral Assistance may not duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral insurance or financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, government programs or agencies, or other sources. COVID-19 Funeral Assistance will be reduced by the amount of other assistance the applicant received for the same expenses.
  • Life insurance proceeds are not considered a duplication of Funeral Assistance benefits.

Call FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Helpline
at (844) 684-6333 (TTY: (800) 462-7585) from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, Monday – Friday.
No online applications will be accepted.
Call will take approximately 20 minutes.
All information for submitting an application can be found on the FEMA website.

For fastest service following your application, you can begin submitting documentation:

  • Online through Disasterassistance.gov or
  • Fax (855) 261-3452 or
  • Mail: COVID-19 Funeral Assistance P.O. Box 10001 Hyattsville, MD 20782

Funeral homes are not eligible to apply on behalf of a family or to be a co-applicant on the Funeral Assistance application. The person applying must be an individual, not a business, who incurred the funeral expenses.

  • FEMA is receiving high call volumes, which is causing some technical issues. Some applicants are reaching operators, while others are receiving a busy signal.
  • If your call was not able to connect, please try calling again later. FEMA is working to correct the technical issues. Keep in mind there is no deadline to apply.

You will need to contact the COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line directly for clarification on why the death certificate does not qualify. A representative can be reached Monday thru Friday at 844-684-6333.

Only the certifying physician or medical examiner can amend the cause of death on a death certificate. It is the physician’s medical opinion based on medical judgment drawn from clinical training and experience. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control has provided guidance for medical certifiers related to COVID-19. To amend a death certificate starts with a family representative contacting the person who certified the death. This may be a treating doctor or a medical examiner, and their name and address is on the death certificate. Applicants may present evidence to them to support the claim the death was attributable to COVID-19. The doctor would need to agree that that the information needs to be corrected and provide the Department of Health Vital Records with a directive that corrects the certificate. OSDH/Vital Records cannot compel a physician to make an update to the cause of death.

Once the physician has submitted a request to Vital Records, the update must be registered in the statewide system of Vital Records. The record should be available for issuance within 5 business days.

  • Complete applications submitted online or by phone by eligible applicants are typically issued in 1-2 business days.
  • Complete applications submitted by mail by eligible applicants are typically issued in 6-8 weeks.
  • Incomplete applications e.g. missing information, documentation or fees or applications will delay issuance.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health does not accept online directly; however you can submit on-line requests through our partner VitalChek or by calling (877) 817-7364. An additional fee is charged for using these services and all major credit cards are accepted including American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard® or Visa®.

The cost for Oklahoma residents is $20.00 (includes $5 convenience fee) for the first copy and $15 for each individual copy. Online rates will vary for non-resident applicants. Orders may be expedited for an additional fee.

Applications may be submitted along with a copy of the applicant’s ID, $15 and proof of eligibility to:

Vital Records Service
Oklahoma State Department of Health
PO Box 248964
Oklahoma City, OK 73124-8964

By state law, death records filed are not open for public inspection. Obtaining a death certificate by or for fraudulent purposes is punishable by law.

The person requesting the certificate must meet one of the following eligibility standards:

  • A spouse, parent, child, grandparent, sibling, or legal guardian;
  • Legal representative of the estate of the deceased as documented by an order from a court of competent jurisdiction;
  • An individual who can establish a familial relationship with the deceased;
  • Funeral director of record or agent thereto, working in the capacity of their official business;
  • Person with a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction;
  • A person who was a co-owner or a joint tenant on real or personal property of the decedent;
  • A person listed in a will of the decedent, provided the will is in probate;

If the applicant is not named on the death certificate as a parent, spouse, or informant; documentation will be required to demonstrate the requestor’s relationship.