The 9/11 victims compensation fund, set up not long after the attack on the World Trade Center (WTC), means to help victims who sustained chronic physical harm from the Ground Zero site.

The federal government had opened the 9/11 victims compensation fund to people who developed cancer as a result of breathing in harmful substances during the attack itself, as well as during the eight month cleaning period.

The 9/11 victims compensation fund proves tax free financial assistance to victims who have sustained chronic health problems, and would normally be unable to afford the expensive medical care. The compensation fund also includes benefits in the case of death, including additional compensation for surviving spouses and children.

Initially the 9/11 victims compensation fund was meant to be closed in 2004, but was revived on Jan. 2, 2011, after the federal government discovered numerous people were still suffering from the effects of the terror attacks.

President Obama had signed a bill that guaranteed the victims compensation fund would keep operating until 2010, which now contains $7.3 billion and is open to 9/11 victims who have not yet filed. Filing a claim for the 9/11 victims compensation fund can be a confusing process, however, so potential applicants should be aware of several facts and statistics. Claims and participants are monitored by the World Trade Center Health Registry, with the registry also monitoring the health of these individuals.

Overview of 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund Statistics

Since the 9/11 victims compensation fund was reopened in 2011, there have been over 28,609 claims submitted. Out of 21,448 claims submitted, 16,942 have been approved to received rewards and 4,885 are still under review. Over $2.8 million has been put aside for these claims, with personal injury claims representing over $2.7 of the $2.8 billion in compensation.

The lowest reward amount for a compensation reward was $86.07, with other awards ranging between hundreds and thousands of dollars. According to statistics of the 9/11 victims compensation fund from 2001 to 2003, the fund had received 7,408 claim submissions with 5,560 of those resulting in rewards that went over $7 billion.

At the time the victims fund had also received 2,963 death claims, which accounted for over 98% of eligible families. The 9/11 victims compensation fund was distributed in 2,880 cases, with the average award being around $2 million but going up to $7.1 million. The fund had also received 4,445 personal injury claims, with 2,680 cases receiving various reward amounts ranging between $500.00 to $8.6 million.

The 9/11 victims compensation fund is open to people who have been directly impacted by the harmful substances released during the terrorist attacks including, but not limited:

• First Responders
• Firefighters, Police Officers, and EMTs
• Sanitation Workers
• Construction Workers
• City Workers
• Utility Workers
• Cleaners
• 9/11 Volunteers
• Out of State Responders
• Employees who worked Below Canal Street
• Residents living below Canal Street
• Students attending school below Canal Street

Each of these groups of people is at risk for over 70 different types of cancers that have been discovered, with patients having been exposed to dangerous elements including asbestos, aluminum, glass, and burned jet fuel.