Updated July 2021 (COVID-19 related benefits updated April 2021)
COVID-19 BENEFITS
COVID-19-related first responder deaths are considered line-of-duty deaths under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program. Legislation passed in August 2020 established a statutory presumption for first responders who die from, or are disabled by complications related to, COVID-19. Prior to August, suspected cases were required to have proof that exposure occurred during their work duties.
(Legislation: S.3607 – Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act of 2020)
Contact:
Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program
Phone: (888) 744-6513
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: bja.ojp.gov/program/psob
Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA will provide financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide up to $9,000 per funeral and up to $35,500 per applicant to help with expenses related to coronavirus deaths that occurred after January 20, 2020.
Contact:
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Information
(Applications accepted starting April 12, 2021)
Phone: (844) 684-6333
TTY: 800-462-7585
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm CST
Website: www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance#eligible
The Governor directed the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DOLIR) to implement an emergency rule that presumes first responders who test positive for COVID-19 contracted it in the line of duty. This will allow them to have expenses covered under Missouri’s Workers’ Compensation law.
First responders with COVID-19 will be covered by workers’ compensation
Contact:
Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation (Central Office)
Missouri Department of Labor
3315 West Truman Blvd. Room 131
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0058
Phone: (573) 751-4231
Fax: (573) 751-2012
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: labor.mo.gov
ONE-TIME DEATH BENEFITS
A one-time payment of $25,000 shall be awarded to the survivors of a fallen firefighter, paid or volunteer. If the firefighter leaves a spouse and no dependent children, the amount shall be given entirely to the spouse. If the firefighter leaves any dependent children and no spouse, the amount shall be split equally among all dependent children. If there is both a spouse and one or more children, 50% of the amount shall go to the spouse while the other 50% is split equally among all dependent children.
Contact:
Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation (Central Office)
Missouri Department of Labor
3315 West Truman Blvd. Room 131
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0058
Phone: (573) 751-4231
Fax: (573) 751-2012
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: labor.mo.gov
COMPENSATION FOR DEATH OR DISABILITY OF FIREFIGHTERS FROM OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
Missouri law currently only counts presumed occupational diseases for the purpose of computing retirement benefits. Under this law, diseases presumed to have been suffered in the line of duty for firefighters who have served for 5 or more years are: many infectious diseases, disease of the lungs or respiratory tract, hypotension, hypertension, disease of the heart, or any condition of cancer affecting the skin or the central nervous, lymphatic, digestive, hematological, urinary, skeletal, oral, breast, testicular, genitourinary, liver or prostate systems, as well as any condition of cancer which may result from exposure to heat or radiation or to a known or suspected carcinogen as determined by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
As of November 2018, there are bills which aim to make many forms of cancer recognized as an occupational disease for the purpose of all death benefits however those are currently in committee.
Reference: Missouri Statutes Title VII Section 87.006 [current law], MO HB1641
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
The employer shall pay to the firefighter’s spouse and dependent children a weekly compensation equal to 66-2/3% of the injured employee’s average weekly earnings, as calculated from the year immediately preceding death. This amount shall not exceed 105% of the state average weekly wage, and not be less than 40 dollars per week. Should a spouse remarry, they shall be paid a lump-sum equal to two years of these benefits and the weekly payments shall go to any other remaining dependents, for as long as they remain a dependent.
Contact:
Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation (Central Office)
Missouri Department of Labor
3315 West Truman Blvd. Room 131
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0058
Phone: (573) 751-4231
Fax: (573) 751-2012
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: labor.mo.gov
Reference: Missouri Statutes Title XVIII Section 287.240
Resource: LODD Benefits Available
FUNERAL BENEFIT
In all cases the employer shall pay direct to the persons responsible for the funeral the reasonable expense of the burial of the deceased, not exceeding $5,000.
Contact:
Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation (Central Office)
Missouri Department of Labor
3315 West Truman Blvd. Room 131
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0058
Phone: (573) 751-4231
Fax: (573) 751-2012
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: labor.mo.gov
RETIREMENT/PENSION PLAN
Pension plans vary by locality as Missouri state law only sets guidelines for retirement systems. In general, you can expect to receive regular payments of a set percentage of the firefighter’s historic or expected salary. Please contact your local municipality and fire chief for assistance in determining specific benefits in your case.
Contact your department’s benefits officer for advice.
Reference: Missouri Statutes Title VII Section 87
EDUCATION BENEFIT - CHILDREN
Natural, adopted, and stepchildren of fallen firefighters are eligible for a scholarship through the “Public Service Officer or Employee’s Child Survivor Grant Program”. The child must be a Missouri resident and full-time student pursuing an undergraduate degree while under the age of 24 at a participating Missouri postsecondary school (currently there are about 70 participating institutions). They cannot have previously obtained a bachelor’s degree, nor be pursuing a degree in theology or divinity.
The maximum semester grant amount will be the lesser of the following: the actual tuition charged for 12 credit hours at the school where you are enrolled full time; or, the amount of tuition for 12 credit hours charged to an undergraduate Missouri resident enrolled full time in the same class level and in the same academic major at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Contact:
Missouri Department of Higher Education
205 Jefferson Street
PO Box 1469
Jefferson City, MO 65102-1469
Phone: (573) 751-2361
Fax: (573) 751-6635
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: dhe.mo.gov
EDUCATION BENEFIT - SPOUSE
Education benefits for a spouse are identical to those above, except there is no age requirement. Remarriage has no effect on this benefit.
Contact:
Missouri Department of Higher Education
205 Jefferson Street
PO Box 1469
Jefferson City, MO 65102-1469
Phone: (573) 751-2361
Fax: (573) 751-6635
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: dhe.mo.gov
NON-PROFIT OR PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS
Kids’ Chance of Missouri, Inc.
PO Box 410384
St. Louis, MO 63141
Phone: (314) 997-3390
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mokidschance.org
Kids’ Chance of Missouri provides post high school scholarships for children of Missouri workers killed or disabled on a job covered by workers’ compensation statutes, which includes all firefighter LODDs. These scholarships can be used for tuition, books, supplies, housing, meals, and other education-related expenses not covered by other grants or scholarships.
Fire Fighters Association of Missouri
Jamie Miller, Secretary
PO Box 1153
Warrensburg, MO 64093
Phone: (660) 429-1327
Fax: (660) 747-9791
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.ffam.org
If the Firefighter is a member of the Fire Fighters Association of Missouri, their designated beneficiary shall receive $1,000 from the FFAM Benevolence Fund. FFAM also has an elective Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance plan for up to $50,000. Under this AD&D Insurance, the firefighter’s death does not need to be duty related.
Reference: https://ffam.org/members/benefits/
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
P.O. Box 498
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
Phone: (301) 4471-1365
FAX: (301) 4471-1645
Website: www.firehero.org
The Sarbanes Scholarship Program
Spouses, life partners, children, and stepchildren of firefighters honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial are eligible to apply for the NFFF Sarbanes Scholarship Program along with other partner programs. The NFFF Sarbanes Scholarships are awarded for undergraduate and graduate studies, vocational-technical training, and certification and job training programs. They may be used for study at in-state or out-of-state public and private schools.
The International Association of Fire Fighters
1750 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Website: client.prod.iaff.org/#contentid=1743
The W. H. “Howie” McClennan scholarship provides financial assistance for sons, daughters or legally adopted children of IAFF Union Members killed in the line of duty planning to attend a university, accredited college or other institution of higher learning. Scholarship amount is $2,500 per year, renewable up to 4 consecutive years.
HEALTH INSURANCE
The state of Missouri does not offer any state level health insurance benefits for the survivors of fallen firefighters. Please contact your fire department or local municipality to check if they do.
TAX ABATEMENT
The Public Safety Officer Surviving Spouse Tax Credit is available for surviving spouses. This credit is for an amount equal to the total amount of the property taxes on the surviving spouse’s homestead paid during the tax year for which the credit is claimed, excluding withholding tax. The spouse is able to claim this tax beginning the year of firefighter’s death and continue claiming it until the tax year in which the surviving spouse remarries, if ever.
Contact:
Taxation Bureau
Missouri Department of Revenue
301 West High Street
Harry S. Truman Building
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Phone: (573) 751-3505
E-mail: mailto:[email protected]
Website: dor.mo.gov
FUNERAL & CREMATION BENEFITS
Dignity Memorial
Phone: (800) 343-4464Website: www.dignitymemorial.com
Dignity Memorial is a consortium of funeral, cremation and cemetery providers across the United States and Canada. They have a Public Servants Program for first responders and emergency services workers. Dignity provides these services, at no cost, for career and volunteer firefighters who are killed in the line of duty. Also provides “extended counseling” to the grieving family. There is a location finder per state on the website, and funeral directors are encouraged to contact Dignity regarding the first responder program.
Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc.
2913 Gardner RoadBroadview, IL 50155
Phone: (708) 681-7040 (Terry Whitlock)
Website: www.wilbert.com
Wilbert provides complimentary burial vaults (including urns vaults) for fallen law enforcement officers and firefighters through 193 licensee locations. Funeral directors should contact Wilbert for information on obtaining vaults.
