Information and Resources
Note: No funds are available from us or any FCA affiliates to pay for funerals or memorials. We are simply sharing information here about some possible sources of financial aid. We can also provide advice about ways to keep costs low if arrangements have not yet been made.
FEMA REIMBURSEMENT for COVID-19
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can reimburse some funeral expenses for COVID-19 related deaths. See FEMA’s funeral assistance or read our Spring 2021 news article.Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA)
If the deceased person was eligible for MassHealth, DTA offers up to $1100 paid directly to the funeral home, provided that total funeral expenses do not exceed a cap of $3500. Under state law, payment of funeral and burial expenses for indigent persons is the responsibility of the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA). How to Apply for Funeral and Burial Payment Assistance.
Social Security Death Benefits
There is a one-time $255 Social Security death benefit that may be available to the spouse or dependent children of the deceased. See Social Security website about Survivor Benefits.
Veteran Death Benefits
There are several benefits available to honorably discharged veterans. Burial benefits include a gravesite in a national cemetery with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, government headstone, marker or medallion, burial flag and Presidential Memorial Certificate. Cremated remains are buried or inurned in the same manner. See the National Cemetery Administration’s webpage about Burial Benefits.
Reimbursements for burials in a private cemetery may also be provided as long as reimbursement is not provided by other government agency or employer. You may apply for reimbursement if you are a surviving spouse, child, parent or administrator of the veteran’s estate.
The reimbursement amounts vary depending on whether death was service-connected or not, the date of death and whether the death was in a VA contracted hospital. Although there is time limit of two years to apply for reimbursement for non-service-connected deaths, there is no time limit for service-connected deaths. Please check with the VA for more detailed information and how to apply.
The Estate of the Deceased
Look for checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, payable-on-death bank accounts, investments. Locate insurance policies. Seek receipts from a cemetery or funeral home in case the decedent has pre-purchased property or a funeral trust or insurance.
Religious and Ethnic Heritage Organizations.
Those who were attached to a particular faith organization, heritage group, or beneficial association may receive some financial relief from those sources. Some religious cemeteries will furnish plots to poor parishioners with the recommendation of religious leader. By tradition, some may forbid erecting a marker. Many churches have religious leaders or committees who will aid families through this stressful time; they offer experienced advice and helping hands.
Unions, Fraternal or Membership Organizations
Many unions offer death and dismemberment insurance policies. Be sure to check whether the deceased may have had such a policy. Also, many other member organizations may have benevolence committees that may provide some assistance for long time members in good standing.
Willed Body Programs
Often referred to as whole body donation, many medical schools have programs that accept bodies for study. These research organizations may cover all costs of disposal after use in research and/or teaching. In some cases, there may be a fee to a funeral home for arranging transport of the body. Note: Arrangements should be made in advance with the medical school’s Anatomical Gift program. (For list of such programs in Massachusetts, see our page on Body donation.) Even with prior arrangement, not all bodies can be accepted at time of death. So applicants should have a secondary plan.
Victims of Crime
If the deceased died as a result of a criminal action, the family may be entitled to reimbursement of the funeral and some other expenses. Ask the medical examiner or your county’s District Attorney if you think you qualify. For example, see the Attorney General of the Commonwealth’s webpages about Massachusetts Victims of Violent Crime Compensation and Applying for Victims of Violent Crime Assistance. Librarians at MA Trial Court Law Libraries have posted information on Massachusetts Law About Victims and Witnesses of Crimes.