Bruce Vasey, funeral director at the Thompson-Miller Funeral Home in Butler, stands in the entrance of the casket display room. Those who paid for funerals for loved ones who died of COVID-19 or from its complications are now eligible to receive financial compensation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Funeral directors in Butler County have begun sending notices to some of their clients from the past year with relatives who died of COVID-19.

Those who paid for funerals for loved ones who died of the virus or from its complications are now eligible to receive financial compensation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

According to FEMA's website, the money is available through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which will assist individuals with funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020. Applications will be received by phone call only.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, 399 people in Butler County have died of COVID-19 as of April 18.

“There was quite an impact,” said Mike Good, funeral director at Thompson-Miller Funeral Home, 124 E. North St., of the increase in funerals last year. “We're sending out letters to all of our people that we have had that we know of.”

Applicants can receive up to $9,000 per funeral and a maximum of $35,500 per application per state, territory, or the District of Columbia, according to FEMA's website. As of now, there is no deadline or funding cap for the assistance program. An applicant must provide a copy of a death certificate, proof of funeral expenses incurred and proof of assistance received from any other source.

Tom Martin, funeral director at Martin Funeral Home, 429 Center Ave., said a death in the family can be expensive considering all the services that are involved, so he is encouraging his eligible clients to collect the money available to them. The $9,000 cap will in most cases be enough to pay off a funeral, he added.

“Pretty much anything you can think of is in the cost factor,” he said. “For some of them, it'll be a huge help.”

FEMA's website lists the funeral expenses covered by the program, which includes transportation for up to two individuals to identify the deceased individual, transfer of remains, casket or urn, burial plot or cremation niche, marker or headstone, clergy or officiant services, arrangement of the funeral ceremony, use of funeral home equipment or staff, cremation or interment costs, costs associated with producing and certifying multiple death certificates and additional expenses mandated by any applicable local or state laws or ordinances.

Good said that while the assistance program will be helpful, many people did not have a traditional funeral because of concerns over COVID-19. He said this opportunity may incentivize some clients, who planned to have a celebration of life service later.

“A lot of them did cremation, a direct burial and nothing else,” Good said. “They didn't really get that closure associated with a funeral. Hopefully this will allow people to have closure and initiate some finality.”

Funeral homes are not supposed to contact with FEMA on behalf of clients for this assistance program, but Martin said he wants to let his eligible clients know of the available money.

“Anyone that had it I want to let them know,” Martin said.

Applicants can call FEMA at 844-684-6333 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday to apply for the funeral assistance program.