To Our Families

We have complied the following information to help our families that have lost loved ones to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have any questions or need assistance during the filing process, please do not hesitate to call us at (770) 944-2900 or email us at [email protected].

                                 For more information, click the links below to be redirectedto the FEMA pages to ensure the information is the most recent. 

                                                                                                                              Who is Eligible 

                                                                                                                               How to Apply 

                                                                                                                     How are Funds Received  

                                                                                                                      Funeral Assistance FAQ 

                                                                                                                        Additional Resources 

                                                                                                                                 FEMA Policy

• At this time, there is no deadline to apply for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance. FEMA will communicate a specific deadline once established.
• FEMA has set up a dedicated toll-free phone number that can be used to apply for funeral assistance. You will be able to call this number to get an application completed with help from FEMA's representatives. No online applications will be accepted. Multilingual services and a TTY number will be available.
• FEMA's Funeral Assistance Program has controls in place to mitigate fraudulent activity. FEMA will not contact anyone until they have called FEMA or have applied for assistance. Do not disclose information such as the name, birth date or social security number of any deceased family member to any unsolicited telephone calls or e-mails from anyone claiming to be a federal employee or from FEMA. If you doubt a FEMA representative is legitimate, hang up and report it to the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or the National Center for Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721. Complaints also may be made by contacting local law enforcement agencies.
• Applicants may receive assistance for the funeral expenses of multiple deceased individuals. Assistance is limited to a maximum of $9,000 per funeral and a maximum of $35,500 per application per state, territory, or the District of Columbia.
• The death certificate must indicate the death was caused by, "may have been caused by" or "was likely a result of" COVID-19 or COVID-19-like symptoms. Similar phrases that indicate a high likelihood of COVID-19 are considered sufficient attribution.
• Changing a death certificate - It is possible to change or amend a death certificate. This process starts with contacting the person who certified the death. This may be a treating doctor, a coroner or a medical examiner, and their name and address is on the death certificate. Applicants may present evidence to them to support the claim the death was attributable to COVID-19.
• Applicants who recently applied for FEMA assistance for home and/or personal property damage from a disaster and also had funeral expenses for a death attributed to COVID-19 after January 20, 2020, may apply for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance. A separate application will be required.
• FEMA will generally only provide COVID-19 Funeral Assistance to one applicant per deceased individual. To be approved for reimbursement of funeral expenses due to a COVID-19 fatality, you must have incurred funeral expenses for the deceased individual and have documentation (receipts, funeral home contracts, etc.) showing your name as the responsible party. FEMA recognizes that multiple individuals may have contributed to funeral expenses for one deceased individual. FEMA will work with applicants in these situations and those who submit multiple receipts for funeral expenses when their name does not appear on the receipt. If more than one individual contributed toward funeral expenses, they must register with FEMA under the same application as the applicant and co-applicant, or the first applicant that submits all required documentation will be awarded COVID-19 Funeral Assistance for the deceased individual. No more than one co-applicant can be included on an application. If a minor child directly incurred funeral expenses for a COVID-19-related death and the documentation supports that payment, the minor child's application could be reviewed for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance.
• Documentation for expenses (receipts, funeral home contract, etc.) must include the applicant's name as the person responsible for the expense, the deceased individual's name, the amount of funeral expenses, and that funeral expenses were incurred after January 20, 2020. The applicant must also provide FEMA with proof of funds received from other sources specifically used for funeral costs. COVID-19 Funeral Assistance may not duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral insurance or financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, government programs or agencies, or other sources. COVID-19 Funeral Assistance will be reduced by the amount of other assistance the applicant received for the same expenses.
• Life insurance proceeds are not considered a duplication of Funeral Assistance benefits.