Dear New Yorker,
October 3rd is the last day for most people to register with the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), and we wanted to help get the word out and encourage all injured and ill 9/11 survivors and responders who might be eligible to apply.
Over 15,000 responders and survivors have been treated in the WTC Health Program just last year due to the harmful toxins released at Ground Zero.
Working together with our congressional delegation, the New York City Council passed Res. No. 541 in 2010 calling on Congress to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which, among other things, reopened the VCF so that these first responders and their families can get the compensation that they deserve.
After fighting so hard to get the legislation passed, we want to make sure that no sick or injured 9/11 survivor or responder misses this deadline.
For any 9/11 first responder who became ill before October 3, 2011, this will be your last chance to register with the fund.
Those who have a lost loved one to a 9/11-related injury or illness can also register and make a claim on that person's behalf.
There are two ways to register: online or by mail. The online registration can be completed on the VCF website at www.vcf.gov. Applicants can also call the VCF Help Line at 1-855-885-1555 to have the form mailed to them directly. The website also has information in Spanish, Polish and Chinese, and assistance in those languages is also available on the VCF Helpline.
Additional information about registering, including a list of frequently asked questions, can be found on the VCF's website at http://www.vcf.gov/filingdeadlines.html#ace1.
The City's World Trade Center Health Coordinator's Office is also available to help answer any questions folks have about registering for the fund. They can be reached by telephone at 311 or by email at http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/wtc/html/contact/contact.shtml.
And please feel free to share this information with any of your friends, neighbors and family members who think might be eligible. We owe it to them – and to everyone else who bravely came to our City's aid on 9/11 – to help make sure they're getting the compensation that they deserve.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
NYC Council
Michael C. Nelson
Chair, Civil Service & Labor Committee
NYC Council
Maria del Carmen Arroyo
Chair, Health Committee
NYC Council
Margaret S. Chin
Lead Sponsor, Res. No. 541
NYC Council