Columbia Standard

Families who lost a relative due to COVID-19 could qualify for federal assistance for burial expenses, U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn said.

"Under a FEMA program established by Congress, nearly  $26 million in COVID-19 funeral assistance has been provided to 3,700+  SC families impacted by this pandemic," Clyburn tweeted Oct. 7. "It cannot erase their grief, but this program  can ease the financial  burdens associated with losing a loved one. If you have lost a loved  one to COVID-19, you may qualify for FEMA's  funeral assistance  program."

The assistance is available for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred  after Jan. 20, 2020, FEMA said.

Eligible  expenses include funeral services, cremation, caskets or urn, burial  plot, marker or headstone, and "transportation for up to two individuals  to identify the deceased individual," FEMA said.

The assistance is available to U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, or qualified aliens, and available to folks regardless of income.

"Your  income does not affect your eligibility, although you will be asked  to  provide your annual gross household income when you apply for  COVID-19  Funeral Assistance," FEMA said. "FEMA collects this information for demographic purposes only."

If the relative died early-on during the pandemic and COVID-19 was not listed as the cause of death on the death certificate, families might still be eligible.

"FEMA expanded its  COVID-19 Funeral Assistance documentation  requirements to allow  applicants to submit a signed statement from the  certifying official  listed on the death certificate, local medical  examiner, or local  coroner attributing the death to COVID-19 for deaths  that occurred  between Jan. 20 and May 16, 2020," FEMA said. "The signed statement  must accompany the death certificate and include  a causal pathway, or explanation, linking the cause of death on the death certificate to COVID-‍19."