Funeral Assistance up to $7,000 for the Expenses of Laying a Loved one to Rest.

 

 Last year, as COVID ravaged our district, a leader from a Queens community organization – Elmcor – came to us with an issue that was devastating families: funeral costs.

For much of last year, we pushed and pushed the Trump administration to make this critical relief available. Finally, today, we announced that families who’ve lost a loved one will soon be able to get reimbursed up to $7,000 for the expenses of laying a loved one to rest.

The program is retroactive and will reimburse families who lost loved ones to the pandemic as far back as January 2020. It is available to everyone nationwide, including those who are undocumented.

We know there is so much left to do – but this is a small, yet crucial victory.

Early in the pandemic, community leaders shared with us the disparate impact of COVID cases on our community compounded with the devastating economic impact of funeral expenses.

Alexandria’s dad passed away when she was a teen and she had to arrange his services. The funeral expenses were part of the financial devastation, and she never wants anyone else to experience that. So, working with Senator Schumer, she got to work right away to prioritize funeral assistance in the next relief bill.

Now, FEMA is authorized to reimburse up to $2 billion in funeral expenses. Through this measure, families won’t have to bear the incredible financial burden on top of the immeasurable loss they have endured. This will also help families who have suffered the financial burden of funeral costs over the last year get back on their feet.

With hope,

Team AOC