1.3 Are there any circumstances under which the review of my claim can be accelerated?

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. If you want to seek expedited processing of your claim based on a terminal diagnosis or financial hardship, you or your attorney (if you are working with one for your VCF claim) must contact the VCF Helpline at 1-855-885-1555 and upload any appropriate documentation to your claim. You also must submit a complete claim form and all required supporting documents so the VCF has the information needed to process your claim. If you are represented by an attorney for your VCF claim, you should seek your attorney’s assistance. The VCF will review the request and notify you as to whether the request is granted or denied, typically within 48 hours. In claims that are approved for expedited processing, assuming all required documents have been submitted, the VCF can often process the claim, issue the award, and process the payment in as little as 3-4 weeks. In these instances, payment on the claim is issued as soon as the award letter is sent, but you retain your right to appeal within the 30-day appeal period.