US funeral assistance for COVID tops $2B, more eligible

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government has provided more than $2 billion to help cover funeral costs for more than 300,000 families of people who died from COVID-19.

The announcement Tuesday from the Federal Emergency Management Agency comes as FEMA launches a new campaign to raise awareness about the aid to the families of the more than 965,000 people who have died in the U.S. from the virus.

The COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program provides up to $9,000 per funeral and covers COVID-19 related deaths since Jan. 20, 2020.

The average amount awarded per death is $6,500.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell says the program has helped provide people with "critical financial relief during a time of such unexpected, unimaginable and widespread loss."