Federal funding for COVID-19-related funeral costs is still available. FEMA has provided more than $42 million to more than 6,000 people in South Carolina who lost loved ones during the pandemic.
To apply for assistance or ask questions about an existing application, individuals should call 844-684-6333, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., ET Monday – Friday. Multilingual operators are available. Callers who use a relay service, such as a videophone, video relay services (VRS), captioned telephone, or other service should provide FEMA with the specific number assigned to them for that service.
While COVID-19 funeral assistance can be reimbursed, applicants are not required to pay for funeral expenses prior to receiving assistance. Applicants must provide FEMA with a signed funeral home contract, invoice, or similar legal documentation that shows the COVID-19-related funeral expenses were incurred on or after Jan. 20, 2020.
There is no deadline to apply for this assistance. In April, applications incomplete after 1 year, will be moved to a suspended status. The application can be reactivated without appeal by submitting the required documents. There are more than 1,600 applications in South Carolina awaiting additional documentation.
Additional information about COVID-19 funeral assistance, including frequently asked questions, is available on FEMA.gov.