Statement of 911 Health Watch on the Release of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund 2nd Annual Report
For Immediate Release from 9/11 Health Watch
November 22nd, 2013
Press Contact: Benjamin Chevat (646) 634-9103
ben.chevat@911healthwatch.org
Statement of 911 Health Watch on the Release of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund 2nd Annual Report
“Today, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund released its 2nd Annual Report along with updated statistics on its progress to date.
While it shows a good effort at making sure injured and ill 9/11 Responders and Survivors made the October 3rd registration deadline that applied to a majority of those who are eligible for compensation from the fund, it continues to show a major lack of progress in making final determinations of claims and making awards to those that have been waiting so long for compensation. To date, only 112 final determinations have been made. This is unacceptable. Those that were injured and made ill by 9/11 and its aftermath need and deserve swifter action on their claims.
It was bad enough that responders, survivors, and their families had to wait a decade for the legislation creating the VCF to be passed. Now, they are forced to wait for many months for final determinations from the fund; this is time they literally cannot afford. While we understand the challenges of setting up and managing this compensation program, quite simply, the VCF has to do better in order for the promise of the law and our commitment to those eligible to be fulfilled.
911 Health Watch will be meeting with the Special Master and her staff, as well as the attorneys who represent many of the claimants in the coming weeks, to try to find ways to increase the speed of the process and get the compensation that injured and ill 9/11 Responders and Survivors, their families and the families of those who have died from their injuries need and should be receiving under the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.”