Colorado collects millions in COVID funeral assistance

Colorado has received about $21.6 million in federal aid to help families and individuals cover funeral costs for people who died from COVID-19, FEMA figures released this month show.

• More than 5,000 residents applied for assistance as of Aug. 1, and about 4,000 have been approved.

How it works: FEMA pays up to $9,000 to reimburse funeral expenses associated with a death attributed to COVID-19 that occurred in the U.S. on or after Jan. 20.

• That includes the viewing, ceremony and burial, cremation, casket and headstone.

By the numbers: Nearly 14,000 people have died from the virus in Colorado, according to the state's online dashboard.

• The average FEMA reimbursement in the state totaled about $5,400 per funeral.

The big picture: FEMA has provided over $2.7 billion in funeral assistance — to more than 420,000 individuals and families across the country — and still has funds available.

• California, New York and Texas have each received upwards of $200 million in funeral assistance.