The WTC Health Program is not a compensation program, they provide medical monitoring and treatment to eligible members. Enrollment in the WTC Health Program does not automatically enroll members in a compensation program. Eligible members must apply for compensation programs separately.
What is the Victims Compensation Fund?
The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (“VCF”) was created to provide compensation for any individual (or a personal representative of a deceased individual) who suffered physical harm or was killed as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks or the debris removal efforts that took place in the immediate aftermath of those crashes. The original VCF operated from 2001-2004.
On January 2, 2011, President Obama signed into law the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 (Zadroga Act). Title II of the Zadroga Act reactivated the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund from October 2011 through October 2016.
On December 18, 2015, President Obama signed into law a bill reauthorizing the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. This included the reauthorization of the VCF. The law extended the VCF through December 18, 2020.
On July 29, 2019, President Trump signed into law The Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. The VCF Permanent Authorization Act extends the VCF’s claim filing deadline from December 18, 2020, to October 1, 2090, and appropriates such funds as may be necessary to pay all approved claims.
For more information on the Fund, if you qualify and how to file a claim, please click here.
The VCF has developed a factsheet to clarify some common misconceptions about how it operates, who is eligible, how registration deadlines apply, how claims move through the system, and how compensation is determined.