First responders and residents of Lower Manhattan who developed 9/11 cancer or other illnesses and missed deadlines for filing a claim now have a second chance to do so. Benefits include free medical coverage, including health monitoring, as well as financial compensation. Survivors who missed the previous two-year deadline can file their claims until July 29, 2021.

According to lawyers and advocates for 9/11 survivors, this recent change will be a tremendous boon for those who were locked out of receiving benefits due to the previous two-year deadline policy.

About the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund

The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund is part of the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act, created by an Act of Congress and signed into law less than a month after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Overseen and managed in the beginning by prominent mediation attorney Kenneth Feinberg, the fund provides monetary compensation and medical care for victims and their families. In exchange, those who receive benefits agree not to bring legal action against the airlines that were involved. 

Those eligible include families of those who lost their lives, first responders, workers and residents of lower Manhattan who have contracted one or more types of 9/11 cancer or another disease from toxic exposure. Estimates indicate that at least one million people were exposed to toxins such as asbestos, silica dust, aluminum, and aviation fuel.

Closed and Reopened

The 9/11 VCF originally expired in 2004. However, as it became apparent that thousands of people were still being diagnosed with some form of 9/11 cancer, it was reopened in January of 2011. Four years later, President Barack Obama signed a bill that would keep the fund in operation through the end of 2020.

In 2019, the fund was running short and payments were being cut dramatically. Due largely to pressure from constituents (led by former comedian-turned-activist Jon Stewart), Congress reauthorized the VCF for the next seventy years, ensuring that all victims and their families will receive the medical care they need. 

Deadlines

Unfortunately, many of those who were eligible were unaware of a deadline, under which a claimant had two years to file from the time their 9/11 cancer had been diagnosed or a family member had died from a related illness or injury. As a result, many victims missed out on receiving benefits. The current Special Master (administrator) of the fund, attorney Rupa Bhattacharyya, made the decision to extend the deadline by two years from the reauthorization of the fund.

By the end of November, there were nearly 54,000 claims filed. Of those, approximately 27,000 have been approved; another 14,000 are pending.

Filing a Claim

Eligibility, Compensation, Personal Injury, and Deceased claim forms are now combined into a single, simplified form and include the Private Physician Packet. The 9/11 VCF has also lowered the number of required documents necessary for processing claims. Claims may be filed online, or the forms can be downloaded at vcf.gov, filled out and submitted by mail.