If you or a member of your community lost a loved one to COVID-19, you may be eligible for a government program that pays for funeral expenses. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will pay up to $9,000 for funeral expenses for loved ones who died of COVID-19. Survivors can apply for benefits by contacting FEMA, toll-free, at 844-684-6333. To find out if you qualify, read FEMA’s https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance/faq
Unfortunately, FEMA reports that scammers are contacting people and pretending to offer to register them for assistance. To avoid those scams, here are some tips:
- FEMA will not contact you until you call or apply for assistance.
- The government won’t ask you to pay anything to get thi
s benefit. - Don’t give your own or your deceased loved one’s personal or financial information to anyone who contacts you out of the blue.
If you think you got a scam call, hang up and report it to the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
By: Brenda Langdon
