Families who lost loved ones to COVID-19 can now get financial assistance to help with funeral expenses.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing reimbursements of up to $9,000 to eligible families to cover funeral costs.
Andrew Parsell is the vice president of Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium in Lewes. He says the window for eligibility begins for COVID-related deaths after January 2020.
“It allows you to be able to be reimbursed or futurally reimbursed for any allowable expenses from cemetery burial expenses, services expenses, a celebration of life or anything on down and anything that may be funeral related,” said Parsell.
Parsell adds that 2020 was an extremely difficult year for funeral directors - who could not work closely with family members face-to-face as they usually do.
“Through COVID we had to learn to do that over the phone or over a camera on Skype and it really changed the way we did things,” said Parsell.
Applications for funeral assistance can be found at FEMA’s website. People can also call FEMA at 844-684-6333 to start the process.
