New York expands burial service assistance to provide final support to more low-income New Yorkers.
At this point 22.619 people have died from COVID-19 in New York. While everyone is hurting, some of those who are facing the most difficult times are those who have not only lost someone, but are low income and now have an unexpected expense of thousands of dollars for a funeral or cremation service.
New York City Officials make changes fast
One local who has been putting this issue to the forefront is Councilman Francisco Moya, who has been the initiator in asking the New York government to get involved and not only increase the current burial assistance offering, but to also make it more inclusive. New York is also home to a large population of illegal immigrants, who are crucial for the city’s infrastructure, and also one of the largest communities that has been affected by the coronavirus.
In a quick response Mayor Bill de Blasio increased the burial assistance from $900 to $1,700 and updated the program to include undocumented immigrants. They made the program accessible to undocumented immigrants by removing the requirement for applicants to provide Social Security numbers for themselves and the deceased.
New York Burial Assistance
The Human Resources Administration (HRA), Office of Burial Services (OBS) assists individuals in need of financial assistance to meet funeral expenses for a deceased low-income New York City resident (decedent). Payment may be authorized to reimburse funeral expenses that have already been paid or pre-approval for payment may be authorized for the cost of a planned funeral.
