9/11 Compensation Fund Payouts

The Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) awards tax-free payments to anyone who was affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The VCF covers medical bills, lost wages and other economic damages resulting from the attacks. It also provides compensation for non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering. The VCF can compensate victims of all kinds — including first responders, civilians, students and others.

The reopened VCF began operating in 2011 as the result of President Obama signing the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The law created the VCF to help pay for illnesses that were linked to toxic exposure to the wrecked World Trade Center and at the crash sites of the four hijacked airliners that day.

According to the VCF administrator, Sheila Birnbaum, the VCF has paid out nearly $2.7 billion to thousands of victims. The reopened fund covers cancers, respiratory problems and other debilitating conditions. It also pays for death benefits to survivors of people who died from a certified 9/11-related illness. The VCF is overseen by a special master who decides whether a victim meets the criteria for compensation. The administrator can also award “compound awards” for multiple and severe illnesses.

The Victim Compensation Fund and 9/11 Compensation Fund Payouts

There are hundreds of types of illnesses that qualify for VCF payouts. While the majority are cancers, the administration can also award money for non-cancerous conditions. These include asthma, gastrointestinal problems, hepatitis, neuropathy, and heart and lung diseases. Our attorneys can help you determine if you are eligible to file a claim, and if so, the type of award you can seek. We can also make sure your claims contains all the necessary information, as missing just one element can lead to a denial of your application.

A key component of the VCF is that it compensates survivors who have been diagnosed with a 9/11-related illness, even if they did not work directly at the sites where the attacks occurred. The law also allows immediate family members to receive lump-sum awards, as well as burial expenses and funeral costs. In 2019, Congress corrected an injustice that prevented some of these families from receiving these payments through the VCF by passing the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund Clarification Act.

We are committed to ensuring the VCF is fully funded in the future, so that all survivors and their loved ones can receive compensation for their losses. To this end, we supported passage of the Permanent Authorization Act for the 9 11 compensation fund in 2019. The act ensures that the VCF is available for decades to come, and that it will serve all those who suffered due to toxic exposure from the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and the subsequent reopening of the VCF in 2011. The bill passed on November 8, 2019, and the Senate is now considering it. Click here to learn more about this bipartisan effort.