During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, deathcare professionals became fluent in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) language — specifically the terms of the agency’s funeral assistance program, which as of January 1, 2024, has processed more than 488,338 applications for reimbursement or payment totaling more than $3.15 billion for 499,096 deaths from COVID. Applications for that program will be accepted through September 2025 for deaths that occurred before May 11, 2023.
But did you know that FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance (ONA) funeral assistance program also applies to deaths from natural disasters? Families who have lost loved ones to disasters including flooding, tornadoes, straight-line winds, fires, and hurricanes may be eligible for payment assistance for certain funeral expenses — and all they have to do is apply.
What FEMA may cover
Like the COVID-19 program, FEMA’s ongoing ONA program may cover a variety of disposition-related funeral expenses, including:
- Transfer of remains,
- Casket or urns,
- Funeral services
- Death certificates,
- Burial plot,
- Cremation or interment, and/or
- Reinterment (if disinterment is caused by the disaster and/or occurs in a family cemetery or private property).
Do any of your families qualify?
In addition to press releases issued to news outlets within areas approved for help, the FEMA Disaster Assistance website (https://www.disasterassistance.gov/) is updated often with details and deadlines for applications.
Currently, natural disasters that have occurred in 11 states have been approved for applications, including the following:
- West Virginia Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (14 counties)
- Arkansas Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (8 counties)
- Iowa Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (22 counties)
- Florida Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes (1 county)
- New Mexico South Fork Fire, Salt Fire, and Flooding (3 counties)
- Mississippi Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (6 counties)
- Oklahoma Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (26 counties)
- Texas Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (34 counties)
- Massachusetts Severe Storms and Flooding (2 counties)
- Nebraska Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes (2 counties)
In addition to a death certificate and/or statement to verify that a death was directly or indirectly due to a disaster, FEMA requires “evidence of an unmet funeral expense” and “confirmation that funeral expenses have not been paid using other resources” (including Social Security or Veterans Affairs benefits) to verify eligibility. Funeral directors can be of great assistance with each of these items.
Applications are accepted online, by phone, at a disaster assistance center, or on the FEMA app.
