By: Teddy Grant

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced on Wednesday that it would start reimbursing funeral expenses for families who have lost people to COVID-19. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families,” the agency wrote on its website. “At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters. We are dedicated to helping ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the virus.”  

Families will be able to get the reimbursements under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, which passed in December, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that passed this month.  

In February, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer got FEMA to use some of its $2 billion of disaster funds to cover funeral and burial costs for families who couldn’t afford them.  

“Millions of people across the country and thousands of New Yorkers have lost loved ones due to the pandemic and adding significantly to the emotional and financial burdens they were already dealing with,” Ocasio-Cortez told The City in February.  

According to FEMA, to be eligible for funeral reimbursements, you must meet these conditions:  

• The death must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia;  
• The death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19;  
• The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, noncitizen national, or qualified noncitizen who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020, and;  
• There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, noncitizen national, or qualified alien. 

Applications open in April, the agency said.