There are many different types of documents that can be used to demonstrate presence at eligible location.  Full details of the most common types of documents are outlined in Section 1.6 of our Policies and Procedures and the Claim Form Document Checklist (Personal Injury or Deceased Claim).

No, you do not need an attorney to file a VCF claim, and there is no priority given to claims submitted by an attorney over those without an attorney.  We evaluate all claims following the same guidelines and calculate all awards using the same methodology, regardless of whether an attorney is assisting with the claim.

To add, change, or remove the attorney on your claim, follow the instructions on the Change of Attorney Form and upload the completed and signed form to your claim.  Once the VCF receives the completed form and any required documents, we will make the appropriate updates to your claim, including who receives correspondence and who is able to access the claim online.

Yes. In cases involving terminal illness or significant financial hardship, you can request that the VCF expedite the processing of your claim. The VCF considers “significant financial hardship” to include an imminent or pending foreclosure or eviction proceeding, utility cut off, or other similar circumstances, as demonstrated by appropriate documentation.

As a general rule, claims are reviewed in “first in, first out” order based on the date the Claim Form was submitted. This means the VCF prioritizes claims that have been waiting longer before beginning review of newer submissions. Claims are prioritized for review only after all required information has been submitted.

The VCF continues to work to shorten the timeframe needed to decide a claim and is working towards issuing determinations within one year of submission of the claim form or amendment (assuming all information needed to process the claim has been submitted).

Once you file your claim, the first step the VCF takes is to do a preliminary review to confirm that all of the “minimally required” documents have been submitted. In addition to a complete Claim Form, we require the following documents before your claim can move forward for a more substantive review:

Como regla general, los reclamos se revisan por orden de llegada, siguiendo el orden de la fecha en que se presentó el formulario de reclamo de compensación. Esto significa que el VCF prioriza los reclamos que han estado en espera por más tiempo antes de comenzar a revisar los reclamos más recientes. Los reclamos se priorizan para revisión sólo cuando toda la información requerida ha sido presentada.

Una vez presentado el reclamo, el primer paso que el Fondo de Compensación para Víctimas (Victim Compensation Fund, VCF) toma es hacer una revisión preliminar para confirmar que todos los documentos "mínimos requeridos" se hayan entregado. En adición al requisito de completar el Formulario de Reclamo, también le requerimos los siguientes documentos para que su reclamo pueda progresar a una revisión más sustancial:

This has been a year of many challenges, and significant changes for the VCF, greatest among them the July passage of the Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act (“VCF Permanent Authorization Act”), which secured the VCF’s funding for claims and amendments filed through 2090 (see page 5).  This year also saw the departure of Deputy Special Master Jordy Feldman, who left the VCF after more than 10 years of superb and dedicated service.