VCF Registration Deadlines and Your Certified Condition

You may have heard about a July 29, 2021, deadline for September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) registration. The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program is assisting the VCF with sharing accurate information about this registration deadline as some Program members may also be eligible for the VCF.

Please note: The VCF is a separate program from the WTC Health Program and is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice. All VCF-related information on this page is from the VCF. Visit the VCF website or call the VCF Helpline at 1-855-885-1555 for all VCF-related questions.

Enrollment in the WTC Health Program does not automatically register you with the VCF. The WTC Health Program and providers in its Clinical Centers of Excellence (CCEs) or Nationwide Provider Network (NPN) are not part of the VCF. Program providers and the Program call center do not have access to VCF claim information and cannot answer VCF-related questions or discuss a VCF claim.

VCF deadlines are also unrelated to WTC Health Program operations. The WTC Health Program is authorized to continue providing WTC-related care until 2090.

What is VCF registration?

The VCF provides financial compensation for WTC-related physical health conditions to eligible individuals. The VCF does not compensate for mental health conditions. It determines this compensation through a three-step process:

Step 1: Register by the deadline that applies to you (see below)
Step 2: Get certified by the WTC Health Program for a physical health condition
Step 3: File your claim by October 1, 2090

Registration is not the same as filing a claim.

Registration simply preserves the right to file a VCF claim in the future, waives no legal rights, and does not obligate you to file a claim. It serves only to alert the VCF that you may be a potential claimant in the future. It also allows the VCF to meet the legal requirement of timeliness set forth by law.

Registration takes a few minutes and requires only a few pieces of personal information. It does not require a certification from the WTC Health Program. You can register even if you are not currently sick with a physical health condition.

Who should register with the VCF by July 29, 2021?

If you were certified by the WTC Health Program with a WTC-related physical health condition BEFORE July 29, 2019, you must register with the VCF by July 29, 2021, if you wish to file a claim in the future.

For example, if you were certified by the WTC Health Program with a WTC-related physical health condition on February 14, 2015, you have until July 29, 2021, to register.

When are other VCF registration deadlines?

If you were certified by the WTC Health Program AFTER July 29, 2019, your VCF registration deadline is two years after your certification date.

For example, if you were certified with a WTC-related physical health condition on January 5, 2021, you are required to register with the VCF by January 5, 2023.

If you have not been certified by the WTC Health Program with a physical WTC-related health condition or are not currently sick with one, you can register with the VCF at any time. The VCF encourages you to do so sooner rather than later. If you are certified with a WTC-related health condition in the future, you must register within two years of your certification date.

For example, you have not been certified with a WTC-related physical health condition, but you lived south of Houston Street on 9/11 and/or in the months after. You can register for the VCF at any point between now and two years after your certification date if you become sick.

Do I need to get my condition certified by the Program to register with the VCF?

No, you do not need a certified condition prior to registering with the VCF.

However, the VCF does require certification of a condition by the WTC Health Program if and when you file a VCF claim. The VCF uses the certification to confirm that your physical condition is WTC-related during their claim review process.

The WTC Health Program itself does not have a deadline tied to certification.

What about filing a VCF claim?

Filing a claim with the VCF is the third step in the VCF process. This is when you file your claim along with all information and supporting documents needed for the VCF to be able to process your claim. Under the law, the VCF cannot accept any claims filed after October 1, 2090. You must be registered by your applicable registration deadline in order to file a claim. You cannot file a claim now or in the future with the VCF without first registering.