With the average cost of burial services in Alaska costing approximately $8,000, families can experience additional financial stress in their time of grief.
Through AVCP’s burial assistance program, AVCP provides financial support up to $2,500 to assist with burial costs.
In order to participate in the program and receive benefits, client must:
Provide proof of residency in a compacted village within the last six months; and
Demonstrate a financial need;
Be a relative of the deceased (does not have to be immediate family member).
Other benefit conditions include:
Payments are made directly to the vendor and cannot be paid directly to the client or family members;
Funding cannot be used if other funding is available;
If not all of the benefit is used, $400 can be allocated for funeral feast items.
Since 2012, AVCP has helped more than 218 families with burial costs for their loved ones.
Useful Resources
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
A: As long as the deceased is not a resident of Anchorage and has not been treated there for more than a year, they qualify.
A: If the state medical examiner transports the body to Anchorage for autopsy purposes, the State of Alaska is responsible for funding the transportation costs of the body back to their home community. However, if the State of Alaska is not responsible for these costs, the transportation of the body can cost up to $1500.
A: No, unfortunately burial assistance cannot cover these costs.
A: Funeral homes often recommend the embalming process as way to preserve the body. This is an expensive cost that will take a large majority of the Burial Assistance funding.