Monterey County: Applications opening soon for FEMA funeral expense relief

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) Monterey County residents will soon be able to apply for funding to help with funeral expenses through FEMA's COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program.

County officials say applications will open in early April, and the county will help those applying with resources and support.

Families who have lost someone to COVID-19 after Jan. 20, 2020 are eligible if they meet this criteria:

• The death happened in the U.S., including U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.
• The death certificate must attribute the death to COVID-19.
• The applicant is a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after the date above.
• The person who died does not have to be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen or qualified alien.

The amount of relief is limited to at most $9,000 per funeral or $35,000 per application. There is no cost to apply and the program is free. Applicants will need to provide an official death certificate, funeral expense documents and proof of funding received from other sources.

FEMA said that when applications open, there will be a dedicated 800 number and multi-lingual assistance. The agency said it has received reports of scammers reaching out to people offering to register them for assistance, but FEMA does not send those notifications and does not contact people before they register for assistance.

For more information, Monterey County residents can email info.oes@co.monterey.ca.us.