News

Definitive Proof of Presence Documentation

[April 26, 2024]: Added "Salvation Army" and "New York State Department of Environmental Conservation".

[September 18, 2023]: Added "TWU Local 100" for NYCTA employees presence information.

[June 15, 2023]: Added Volunteers Who Signed in at Trinity Church to list.

[May 8, 2023]: Added NY City Department of Sanitation to list.

[April 20, 2023]: Removed entry for TWU Local 100

Email – myVCF Update – March 29, 2024

I was very proud to step into the role of Special Master in March 2023, particularly as a native New Yorker and someone who was raised to respect and value public service. In the months since, I have been struck by many things that I hadn’t fully anticipated – chief among them the need to inform the public about the VCF and to ensure that every person who might be eligible for a VCF award is aware of the program and has the resources and support they need to register and file a claim.

Email – Replacement Services Policy – February 1, 2024

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

Notes from November 3, 2014 VCF conference call with law firms and new Medical Expense Worksheet posted.

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.

October 3, 2013 was an important registration deadline for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Anyone who was diagnosed with a 9/11-related condition on or before October 3, 2011 for which they intend to seek compensation from the VCF must have registered with the Fund by the October 3, 2013 deadline.

Updated important reminders for law firms (originally posted on June 17, 2013).