The registration line for COVID-19 funeral assistance opened Monday, April 12.
An overview is available at https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance;
see also FEMA’s funeral assistance policy for additional detail.
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line Number 844-684-6333 | TTY: 800-462-7585
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time
Funeral assistance frequently asked questions Online registration is not available.
Assistance will be based on actual expenses for funeral costs up to $9,000 for each COVID-19 death for which the applicant is responsible (to a maximum of $35,500 if there were multiple deaths in the household/family).
Documentation needed to support an application for assistance will be:
+ An official death certificate that attributes the death directly or indirectly to COVID-19 and shows that the death occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.
+ Funeral expenses documents (receipts, funeral home contract, etc.) that includes the applicant’s name, the deceased person’s name, the amount of funeral expenses, and the dates the funeral expenses happened.
+ Proof of funds received from other sources specifically for use toward funeral costs.
FEMA is not able to duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral insurance, financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, government agencies, or other sources.
FEMA and its contractor will be administering the application process and distribution of assistance funds, so SCEMD is not likely to have additional information beyond what FEMA presents on its web pages, and we will not have access to information about individual applicants.
If questions or issues arise, we will, however, support addressing those with FEMA.
Whitney G. Cofield
COVID-19 Incident Command – SEOC Liaison
External Plans and Operations Manager
Bureau of Public Health Preparedness
S.C. Dept. of Health & Environmental Control
Mobile: (803) 429-0315
Connect: www.scdhec.gov