How Long Will It Take My Claim to Be Paid? (As of 2023)
This depends. The VCF generally prioritizes claims on the basis of when they received them, meaning they try to address older claims first before moving onto newer ones.
The process is sometimes expedited, however, when the victim is critically ill or destitute. If you or a loved one is suffering from a critical illness related to 9/11, or you have received a mortgage foreclosure or eviction notice, we can ask the VCF to expedite your award and payment.
Most other claims simply get added to the queue. The program has worked to shorten the timeframe between when a claim is submitted and when a decision is made. Their goal is to issue determinations within one year of receiving a claim form or amendment, but as of now the time frame from submitting a claim to receiving an award is 13-14 months.
The VCF says that claims submitted in late 2021 should soon be receiving award decisions. Claims submitted in early 2022 should come “under review” by summer 2023.
If this seems like a long time, keep in mind that VCF claims take a while to review, in part because each claim is individually calculated. Especially complex claims can take quite a while to work out, especially if the victim is deceased, and the program sometimes has to wait for information from third parties about the other benefits the victim or family may have received.
To compare, most personal-injury lawsuits take 3+ years from the date a lawsuit is filed until trial.
6 replies on “How Long Will It Take My Claim to Be Paid? (As of 2023)”
It’s interesting to know that we’d get our claim expedited due to certain circumstances. I have an uncle got just found out last month he developed an illness related to his job, so we want to help him get compensation, and I think that your insight might help us. I appreciate your information on how much time a lawsuit could take up.
Hi Eli, Please ask your uncle to call us as soon as possible at 800-657-0326 so we can discuss his eligibility for the free World Trade Center Health Program or the permanently extended and funded $10+ Billion Victim Compensation Fund. Take care.
Is this statement accurate:
“ as of now the time frame from submitting a claim to receiving an award is 13-14 months.”
Hi Timothy, according to the most recent Victim Compensation Fund report, it takes about 14 months for a claim to receive an award. Are you preparing to file a claim?
I already filed a claim with your firm. I am a client of yours. I filed my claim in August 2022.
Hi Timothy, thank you for writing! If you need anything, please contact us. We are honored to represent the 9/11 community. Take care.