The head of September 11th Victim Compensation Fund has announced plans to overhaul the online claims system and speed up the approval process with better automation and more guidance.
Ahead of the new system launch, Special Master Allison Turkel is urging anyone who still has an open claim to provide all needed documents and information quickly so that the claim can get approved.
"The only way we can speed up overall claims processing is if we have claims we can decide when we first pick them up for review," Turkel wrote in a blog post on the fund’s website.
Over 50% of claims are missing necessary information according to an internal review.
Turkel outlined three key ways to ensure quick approval: Don't submit incomplete claims, don't submit claims until the WTC Health Program confirms certification and respond quickly to any requests for missing information.
The fund awarded nearly $1.4 billion last year to those who survived the September 11th terror attacks, and their family members.
