In order to be compensated for 9/11 related illnesses or injuries, an individual will need to be determined “eligible” by the VCF by meeting certain criteria. There are 6,901 eligibility Claims that are on hold right now due to missing paperwork and information. The VCF will send correspondence to your law firm to alert them should these items be missing.

Since 2003, the 9/11 Volunteer Fund was only compensating those who were volunteering under agencies such as FEMA or the Red Cross. Advocates argue that this was unfair to those who had selflessly gone down Ground Zero on their own volition and strongly feel that these benefits were improperly denied. Just recently it was announced that the Workers’ Compensation Board will reconsider and offer workers’ compensation benefits to those who did not volunteer under an agency. According to a recent Newsday article, the appellate division will review “any re-opening/re-consideration requests for Claimants who have received decisions which were decided upon the volunteer affiliation basis.”