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Here’s how FEMA can help you pay COVID-19 funeral costs

The federal agency will provide up to $9,000 per funeral, or $35,500 per application.

Starting Monday, April 12, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin accepting applications to help pay for funerals of people who died from COVID-19.

The key details

FEMA will help pay up to $9,000 in costs for each funeral, or $35,500 per application. Funeral expenses covered by the program include caskets, urns, burial plots, clergy or officiant services and cremation, according to the FEMA website.

To qualify for the financial help, applicants must:

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  • Have paid for funeral expenses for someone whose death in the United States or its territories was likely caused by COVID-19. The funeral must have occurred after Jan. 20, 2020.
  • Meet certain citizenship or residency requirements, as explained on the FEMA website.
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The background

COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the United States in 2020, behind heart disease and cancer. Dallas County has recorded more than 3,600 deaths from COVID-19, according to the county’s website. ZIP codes in Oak Cliff and South Dallas have accounted for a disproportionally high number of cases, with 75211 having one of the largest concentrations of active COVID-19 cases in Dallas County.

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How to apply for FEMA help

Call FEMA at 844-684-6333, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are no online applications.

The agency’s web page offers more details in several languages about how to apply. There is no current deadline.

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