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 Attorney General enacted a temporary emergency rule change to allow first responders to make claims for financial assistance with the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Disability Benefits Trust Fund when they contract COVID-19 on duty. Administered through the Office of the Attorney General.
Contact:
Office of the Attorney General
P.O. Box 220
Jackson, MS 39205
Phone: (601) 359-3680
ONE-TIME DEATH BENEFITS
Mississippi maintains a Death Benefits Trust. As a result, when a firefighter dies or receives accidental or intentional bodily injury that results in death while engaged in the performance of their official duties, a one-time payment of $100,000 shall be made to the beneficiary previously designated in writing by the firefighter. If no such designation has been made, the payment shall be made to the surviving child or children and spouse in equal portions, and if there is no surviving child or spouse, then to the parent or parents. This payment is exempt from the claims and demands of creditors of the firefighter.
Contact:
Office of Standards and Training
Division of Public Safety Planning
1025 Northpark Dr.
Ridgeland, MI 39157
Phone: (601) 977-3774
Fax: (601) 977-3773
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.dps.ms.gov
Reference: Miss. Code Ann. Section 45-2-1
COMPENSATION FOR DEATH OR DISABILITY OF FIREFIGHTERS FROM OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
Mississippi does not presume any diseases or conditions to be occupationally acquired diseases for firefighters.
Contact:
Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission
1428 Lakeland Drive
Post Office Box 5300
Jackson, Mississippi 39296-5300
Phone: (601) 987-4200
Toll Free: (866) 473-6922
Website: mwcc.ms.gov
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
Mississippi state law requires an employer, or its insurance carrier, to immediately give a lump-sum payment of $1,000 to a surviving spouse, in addition to the benefits listed below.
Weekly compensation payments to any or all beneficiaries shall not be paid for a longer period than 450 weeks (approx. 8 years, 8 months), nor shall the payments exceed 66-2/3% of the average weekly wage for the state per week, as determined by the Mississippi Employment Security Commission.
If the firefighter leaves a surviving spouse, the surviving spouse shall receive 35% of the average wages of the deceased while not remarried. For each surviving child of the deceased, this amount shall be increased by 10% of the average wages for each such child. In case of the death or remarriage of the spouse, any surviving child of the deceased shall have their compensation increased to 15% of such wages.
If the firefighter leaves any children but no spouse, each child shall receive 25% of the deceased’s weekly average wages.
In any of the cases above, the total amount payable shall not exceed 66-2/3% of the deceased’s weekly average wages.
If the firefighter left no surviving spouse or child, or if the aggregate amount payable to the spouse or children is under the 66-2/3% limit, each dependent grandchild, sibling, grandparent or parent is eligible for up to 15% of the wages, still subject to the 66-2/3% limit.
Note that eligible children are those that are dependent upon the deceased, and are under 18 (23 if a full time student) or incapable of supporting themselves by reason of disability. This can include biological, adopted, and step-children, as well children “in relation to whom the deceased employee stood in the place of a parent for at least one year prior to the time of injury”.
Contact:
Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission
1428 Lakeland Drive
Post Office Box 5300
Jackson, Mississippi 39296-5300
Phone: (601) 987-4200
Toll Free: (866) 473-6922
Website: mwcc.ms.gov
Reference: Miss. Code Ann. Sections 71-3-3, 71-3-13, 71-3-25
FUNERAL BENEFIT
Mississippi state law requires an employer, or its insurance carrier, to pay the reasonable funeral expenses not exceeding $5,000, exclusive of other burial insurance or benefits.
Contact:
Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission
1428 Lakeland Drive
Post Office Box 5300
Jackson, Mississippi 39296-5300
Phone: (601) 987-4200
Toll Free: (866) 473-6922
Website: mwcc.ms.gov
Reference: Miss. Code Ann. Section 71-3-25
RETIREMENT/PENSION PLAN
Career Firefighters: For firefighters under the former retirement plan (closed to new employees on 1 July 1987), benefits and eligibility may vary based on your local government. Please contact PERS of Mississippi for help determining exact benefits.
For firefighters under the PERS plan (all other firefighters), spouses shall receive 50% of average compensation until their death. If the firefighter left one dependent child, that child shall receive 25% of average compensation until they are no longer a dependent. If there are two or more dependent children, all dependent children will equally split 50% of average compensation. Upon a child’s ceasing to be a dependent child, their annuity shall terminate and there shall be a redetermination of the amounts payable to any remaining dependent children.
These payments are to be made regardless of the firefighter’s tenure upon their death. If these payments end before the aggregate amount equals the firefighter’s accumulated contributions, the difference shall be paid out to the beneficiary designated by the firefighter. If there is no designated beneficiary surviving at termination of benefits, the difference shall be payable under Miss.
Contact:
Mississippi Public Employees’ Retirement System
429 Mississippi Street
Jackson, MS 39201-1005
Phone: (601) 359-3589
Toll Free: (800) 444-7377
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.pers.ms.gov
Reference: Mississippi. Code Ann. Sections 25-11-114, 25-11-117.1
EDUCATION BENEFIT - CHILDREN
The Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers and Fireman Scholarship Program offers financial assistance to dependent children and spouses of any Mississippi full-time fire fighter or volunteer fire fighter who has suffered fatal injuries in the performance of the duties of their office.
This annual award covers the cost of tuition, including required fees, and the average cost of campus housing at a state-supported college or university of the recipient’s choice within the state of Mississippi for up to 8 semesters of undergraduate education. Natural children, adopted children, and stepchildren are all eligible to apply. The child must be under the age of 23, unless they started receiving college credits before the age of 23 and their college instruction was interrupted for any reason.
This scholarship does not include payment for books, food, school supplies, materials, and dues or fees for extracurricular activities. Under Mississippi state law, recipients must reapply yearly for this scholarship and maintain a GPA of 2.5 or above as a full-time student in order to continue to receive this benefit.
Contact:
Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid
3825 Ridgewood Road
Jackson, MS 39211
Phone: (601) (601) 432-6997
Toll Free: (800) 327-2980
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://www.msfinancialaid.org
Reference: Mississippi Law Enforcement and Firemen’s Scholarships
EDUCATION BENEFIT - SPOUSE
The Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers and Fireman Scholarship Program is also available to spouses of fallen firefighters. The requirements and benefits are the same, with the exception of the age requirement. Remarriage does not affect eligibility.
Contact:
Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid
3825 Ridgewood Road
Jackson, MS 39211
Phone: (601) (601) 432-6997
Toll Free: (800) 327-2980
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.msfinancialaid.org/law/
(Reference: Miss. Code Ann. Section 37-106-39)
NON-PROFIT OR PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS
Mississippi Firefighters Association
P.O. Box 1507
Brandon, MS 39043-15078
Phone: (601) 624-5846
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mffa.com
If the firefighter is a member of the Mississippi Firefighters Association (MFFA), they are eligible for a $2,000 life insurance benefit. This benefit has no age requirements or stipulations attached.
Resource: www.mffa.com
Kids’ Chance of Mississippi Scholarship Fund
The Mississippi Bar
643 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39202
Phone: (601) 948-4471
Fax: (601) 355-8635
Website: www.msbar.org
Kids’ Chance of Mississippi is a scholarship fund established by the Mississippi Bar Foundation under the Administrative Law and Workers’ Compensation Section of the Mississippi Bar to provide scholarships for children who have had a parent killed or permanently and totally disabled on the job. Kids’ Chance of Mississippi provides scholarships for students to attend vocational/technical school or college. The fund brings together all those involved in workers’ compensation issues: legal, medical and business communities.
Mississippi residents between the ages of 17 and 23 who have had a parent killed or permanently and totally disabled in an accident that is compensable under the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Act may apply for the scholarship. The scholarship is good for one year, but recipients may apply each year of school as long as they make satisfactory academic progress. In addition, applicants must demonstrate substantial financial need.
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.
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.
