Yes, if the payments are related to your disability from an eligible 9/11-related condition. The statute requires that the VCF offset from your award any disability benefits you are receiving, or entitled to receive, related to your eligible physical health conditions. If you are receiving disability payments for conditions that are not eligible under the VCF, those amounts will not be deducted from your award.

The VCF does not pro-rate payments. Your claim will be paid in full for the calculated loss amount at the time the payment is processed.  

It is the Special Master’s expectation that law firms will disburse payments to their claimants within 30 days of the money being deposited into the law firm account.

If you have already received at least one payment from the VCF and your banking information has changed since the last payment was processed, you must complete a new ACH Payment Information Form and upload it to your online claim as quickly as possible.  When uploading the new ACH form, you should include a letter stating that the new form should replace the banking information currently associated with your claim. If your address has changed, please call our Helpline at 1-855-885-1555 for assistance in updating our records.

Our first priority is to render decisions on claims for those claimants who have not yet received any award. At the same time, we do continue to review amendments and use the same priority order of rendering decisions on older amendments before reviewing newer ones.

Unlike in a personal injury claim, where the victim is still living, the circumstances of a deceased claim filed do not change. Therefore, all losses in a deceased claim should be known to the claimant at the time the initial claim is filed. It is far more efficient for the VCF, and increases the pace at which the VCF can issue awards to all claimants, if the VCF only has to review these claims, with all losses included, one time.

Yes, you can amend your personal injury claim to add a new condition or to claim a new loss at any time prior to October 1, 2090. You can find complete instructions on How to File an Amendment under “Forms and Resources” on our website. In a deceased claim (i.e., claims filed on behalf of a victim who died as a result of his or her 9/11-related eligible condition), you will not be permitted to amend your claim after the VCF finalizes substantive review of the compensation claim (with limited exceptions).

You should appeal if you are challenging the VCF’s determination on your claim.

You should amend if you are seeking a new determination based on new information.

If you file an eligibility appeal, compensation review will not start until after a decision is made on your appeal. In all cases, filing an amendment or appeal will not affect payment on the original determination.

If you do not intend to appeal, you do not need to do anything. If the VCF sent you an award letter, we will begin processing any applicable payment on your claim. If you received a letter notifying you that your claim was denied, it will remain in that status.  If in the future you have new information to submit to the VCF that you believe may change the eligibility decision on your claim, you may amend your claim.  

An appeal can be filed within 30 days after the VCF has notified you of the eligibility or compensation decision on your claim. You may appeal only if your eligibility denial letter or award letter includes an Appeal Request Form.

If you intend to appeal the decision on your claim, there are specific steps you must take and specific deadlines that apply. Your eligibility denial or award letter will include detailed information about how to appeal the decision.