How do I claim my loved one’s remains? Where can I receive financial assistance for burial or cremation? Am I entitled to succession rights in our rent regulated apartment? How to do I gain access to a safety deposit box? What if my loved one did not have a will? What court do I file in to get control over my loved one’s estate? These are just some of the dozens of questions our staff have fielded since the start of the pandemic from callers who have lost family members and loved ones to COVID-19.
According to the New York Times, as of August 17, 2020, New York State has recorded 32,435 COVID-19 related deaths – 23,634 of those deaths are here in New York City. While community spread of COVID-19 in New York has dropped to some of the lowest percentages in the country, public health officials warn that New York could be in for a second wave of infections in the fall as schools and businesses reopen and as we spend more time indoors with others when the weather cools. VOLS, through our Elderly Project; Veterans Initiative; and COVID-19 Frontline and Healthcare Workers Initiative, wants to ensure that the clients we serve are not only able to put the right documents in place to plan for the future but also to provide services and resources to family members who have lost a loved one.
Seeing a tidal wave of need from our community, VOLS has released our “Guide for Friends & Family of Recently Deceased New Yorkers.” This guide is an updated and streamlined version of our “Guide To Burial Assistance And Funeral Planning For New Yorkers In Need” which was last updated in 2011.
Our Guide provides clients who are planning for the future an overview of the right documents to have in place and laws related to pre-paid and pre-planned funerals. We outline government benefits available to survivors including from the Social Security Administration, the Veterans Administration, and state and local agencies like the New York City Human Resources Administration who has significantly increased its’ burial benefits in response to the overwhelming need of families with limited resources during the COVID-19 crisis. We provide resources on burial, cremation, organ and body donation, and outline the New York State laws and regulatory bodies that oversee the disposition of remains. Finally we provide information on where to settle the estate of a loved one who has passed away.
As our Burial Guide did in the past, we hope that this new guide provides our clients and community with valuable resources both during these troubled times and as we move forward together.