Texas alone has received $159M in COVID funeral assistance from FEMA

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Since FEMA started its COVID-19 funeral assistance, the program has provided over $1.6 billion to more than 247,000 applicants.

The program helps cover funeral costs for deaths occurring on or after Jan. 20, 2020.

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According to FEMA's website, the state of Texas alone received $159 million. In all, Texas has filed 35,873 applications and awarded 24,386 of those applications.

SEE ALSO: Federal program offers cash to cover COVID-19 funeral expenses

Data from the Texas Department of State Health Services show there have been 74,736 COVID-related deaths in the state. Harris County leads the number of COVID deaths with 9,766.

With the nation's coronavirus death toll topping 800,000, it's clear that many families who are eligible for reimbursement have yet to take advantage of the funeral benefit.

To be eligible for reimbursement, death certificates for those who died after May 16, 2020, must indicate that the death was attributed to COVID.

For deaths that occurred in the early months of the pandemic - from Jan. 20 to May 16, 2020 - death certificates must be accompanied with a signed statement from a medical examiner, coroner, or the certifying official listed on the certificate indicating that COVID-19 was the cause or a contributing cause of death.

For more information on the program and/or on how much each state has received, visit FEMA's website.