HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided more than $2.6 billion to help with funeral costs related to COVID-19. To date, this assistance has helped pay for funerals of more than 419,000 people since Jan. 20, 2020.
A FEMA spokesperson told KHON2 on Monday, July 25, that 747 people have started the assistance process in Hawaii. So far, 564 awards have been given, with a total of $3,240,892 in aid.
There is no deadline to apply, and applicants will have the ability to open a case. Call 844-684-6333 (TTY: 800-462-7585) from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hawaii time, Monday through Friday. Multilingual services are available.
Eligibility determinations are based on when the applicant submits all required documentation, which include a copy of an official death certificate that shows the death occurred in the United States on or after Jan. 20, 2020, and that it was attributed to COVID-19.
WHAT’S COVERED
FEMA may approve COVID-19 Funeral Assistance for expenses such as:
- Funeral services
- Cremation
- Interment
- Costs associated with producing death certificates
- Costs due to local or state government laws or ordinances
- Transportation for up to two people to identify the person who died
- Transfer of remains
- Casket or urn
- Burial plot
- Marker or headstone
- Clergy
- Funeral ceremony
- Funeral home equipment or staff
For more information on the application process, click here.
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NOTE: Phone calls from FEMA may come from an unidentified number. Applicants who use a relay service, such as a videophone, Innocaption or CapTel, should provide FEMA with the specific number assigned to them for that service so that agency representatives are able to contact them.
