Few eligible families have sought federal payment of COVID funeral expenses

On a humid August afternoon in 2020, two caskets – one silver, one white – sat by holes in the ground at a small, graveside service in the town of Travelers Rest, S.C. The family had just lost a mom and dad, both to COVID. "They died five days apart," says Allison Leaver, who now lives in Maryland with her husband and kids. When Leaver's parents died that summer, it was a crushing tragedy. And there was no life insurance or burial policy to help with the expense. "We just figured we were just going to have to put that on our credit cards and pay it off, and that's how we were going to deal with that," the public school teacher says with a laugh of resignation. But then, in April of 2021, FEMA offered to reimburse funeral expenses — up to $9,000, which is roughly the average cost of a funeral. And it was retroactive.

Leaver applied immediately. "If this horrible thing had to happen, at least we weren't going to be out the cash for it," she says. A year into the program, the federal government has paid more than $2 billion to cover funeral costs for COVID victims. More than 300,000 families have received reimbursement, averaging $6,500. But fewer than half of families have started applications. Many surviving family members have run into challenges or still don't know the money is available. FEMA launched a big call center, hiring 4,000 contractors in Denver. Survivors must call to initiate the process, as applications are not accepted online. FEMA received a million calls on the first day, leaving many waiting on hold. Once Leaver talked to a representative, she started assembling the death certificates and receipts from the funeral home and cemetery. She uploaded them online — and heard nothing for months. Eventually, she called and learned the receipts she submitted had different signatures — one from her husband, another from her sister. That was a problem. Even though it was a joint funeral, in order to get the full amount per parent, the government required separate receipts. Leaver says she was frustrated, but determined to get it done "come hell or high water." Plus, she says, it was summer break, and she had time. But many haven't applied or don't have time. Clerical challenges have discouraged some participation, especially for those whose loved ones died early in the pandemic, says Jaclyn Rothenberg, FEMA's chief spokesperson.