COVID-19 Funeral Assistance continues to be available for families

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - A local president of a funeral home says only a few families are filing for the COVID-19 Funeral Assistance. It’s available for households who lost loved ones due to the virus.

The program reimburses a family member who paid the funeral home for the final services for their loved one that died from COVID-19.

“The funeral home can only give you the paperwork that you would need, which is a death certificate, which indicates COVID was part of the cause of death as well as your funeral contract with all your service charges on there,” said Laura Kilpatrick-Marchelos, President of Kilpatrick Funeral Home.

The family needs to provide the deceased’s name, social security number, and information about the funeral insurance policy. The death had to occur after January 20, 2020. President Laura Kilpatrick-Marchelos of Kilpatrick Funeral Home says families cannot submit the paperwork online.

“That can be done one of three ways, through their 800 number, faxing that information in, email, or scanning it to them,” she said.

FEMA says a family could receive up to 9,000 dollars per family member. The Ouachita Council of Aging Director Loretta Hudson says she knows some local seniors who have died due to COVID but their families didn’t ask for a refund from FEMA.

“Our seniors have limited resources and the impact that it’s had over the community, and over the world, we feel like it’s very important for their safety and wellbeing. That’s why we’re constantly trying to educate and provide information that will help them through this pandemic,” she said.

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