News

Fiscal Year 2014 was a very productive year at the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. In our first two years, we were focused on everything required to start a significant new program, including hiring staff, developing claim forms and ways to process those forms, and reaching out to prospective claimants to file their claims. This year, we were focused on processing and paying claims, and we have seen positive results.

Notes from September 15, 2014 VCF conference call with law firms posted.

Every year on September 11th we reflect on the lives that were forever changed by that terrible day. At the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, we are working harder than ever to assist the survivors who have been injured as a result of 9/11. We have made great strides in the past year, resulting in 7,885 claimants being found eligible to receive compensation and issuing 1,843 compensation decisions totaling $493,768,674. But this somber anniversary is, for the Fund, not a moment to pause, but rather a reminder that we must increase our efforts and build on our recent progress.

Updates made to the Claims Management System:

• July 14, 2014: Enhanced email notifications for document uploads and new outbound correspondence.
• July 10, 2014: Drop Down list of document types changed to separate "Appeal Request Form" and "Pre-Hearing Questionnaire" into unique document types.

Important reminders for law firms posted.

Today, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) issued updated program statistics. This report shows the progress we have made over the past few months. As of June 30, 2014, the VCF has issued 7,075 eligibility decisions and 1,145 compensation decisions. For the second quarter in a row, the number of issued compensation decisions has increased by more than 100% over the previous quarter.

 Materials reviewed at the May 14, 2014 Claims Management System training for Law Firm Users.

Updates made to the Claims Management System:

• New functionality available to Amend Claims.
• Update made so that Claimant Search will no longer show the default claim if "Enter" is clicked when searching.
• Online claim forms updated to include Prostate Cancer and revised WTC Health Program definitions of Rare Cancer and Childhood Cancer.

Materials reviewed at the March 26, 2014 law firm meeting:

• Compensation Form Guidance.
• Economic Loss Presentation.

I am pleased to announce that the first VCF appeal hearings were held on January 29, 2014 at the VCF office in New York City.

All claimants have the opportunity to appeal the VCF decision if their claim is denied as ineligible due to such circumstances as missing proof of presence, or if a particular injury or illness is denied as ineligible. A claimant also has the opportunity to appeal a compensation calculation.