FEMA announces Program offering funeral assistance to families burying their loved ones due to Covid-19

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Louisiana has had a reported 790,000 Covid-19 cases, and nearly 15,000 deaths since March 2020, leaving many families to grapple with much more during a time of bereavement. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is offering financial assistance and reimbursements to families who are burying their loved ones due to COVID-19.

In order to qualify for the program, a person’s death certificate must show Covid-19 as the cause of death, if the death occurred after May 16, 2020. Eligibility determinations are not driven by state/location; instead, they are based on when the applicant submits all required documentation.

Deaths that occurred during the early months of the pandemic, may not be attributed as a death due to COVID-19. To be eligible for funeral assistance, those applying  must obtain a signed statement from the original certifier of the death certificate listing COVID-19 as the cause of death.


In addition to signed statements, those applying can also get a statement from their coroner or local medical examiner from the jurisdiction where the death occurred, officials said. Statements must also show how the cause of death on the certificate is COVID-19 related.

As of December 2021, FEMA has received 6,816 applications in Louisiana, with a total of 4,338 award approvals, distributing $29,759,432 to families for funeral costs.

FEMA has provided an “Application Chart” to reflect the number of individuals who called to begin the assistance process, which can be viewed here.

EMA has provided over $1.47 billion to nearly 226,000 people to assist with COVID-19-related funeral costs for deaths occurring on or after Jan. 20, 2020.

Funeral assistance data can/will change daily.

Those interested in applying can call (844) 684-6333 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. Multilingual services are available. Please 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.


Additional information about COVID-19 funeral assistance, including frequently asked questions, is available on FEMA.gov.