9/11 Victim Compensation Fund: Common Misconceptions

MYTH: The 9/11 VCF is only for first responders.
FACT: Anyone in downtown Manhattan – including area workers, residents, teachers, students, volunteers, construction workers, rescue workers, and first responders – is eligible to apply to the VCF for compensation and the WTC Health Program for lifetime health benefits.

MYTH: You must be diagnosed with cancer to apply to the 9/11 VCF.
FACT: Even if you are currently in good health, you are still eligible and should register with the VCF Program. The toxic air and water in New York City in the 9 months after 9/11 have been proven to be a direct cause of over 70 different types of cancer and breathing diseases such as asthma and COPD and digestive conditions such as reflux/GERD. If you do have any of these known 9/11-realted conditions, you may be eligible to obtain a financial award.

MYTH: It’s too late to file my 9/11 VCF claim.
FACT: The filing deadline for the 9/11 VCF was extended to the year 2090. Even if you were diagnosed with a cancer or breathing/digestive condition many years ago (or lost a family member to one of these conditions), you can likely still register and file a claim for healthcare and compensation.

MYTH: By applying to the 9/11 VCF I am taking money away from someone who is more deserving of the award.
FACT: Survivor guilt is a real thing, as it’s only human to feel empathy towards others who have also suffered and not want to take away from someone else’s award. In 2019, the VCF was fully funded to the year 2090, with no reductions in any awards no matter how many people make a claim. The explicit purpose of the VCF is to make and pay full, unreduced awards to all claimants, including downtown workers, residents, students, and others. The VCF has already paid over $10 billion, with no limit on the payment of future claims, purposely set up  to “never run out” of award money.

There are many common misconceptions when it comes to the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. Contact Hansen & Rosasco, LLP here or at 631-526-7784 for a Free 9/11 VCF Consultation. Know the facts. We can help determine if you are eligible to receive substantial tax-free compensation from the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and free medical care from the World Trade Center Health Program.