The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund has extended its deadline for claims to 2021 so that more survivors and their families can apply to receive compensation.
The fund originally required survivors or their families to apply for a claim within two years of a death or from a diagnosis of a 9/11-related illness.
Attorney Michael Barasch represents thousands of 9/11 survivors and their families. He says people didn’t even know they were eligible.
“If you got cancer in 2006, let alone last year, why in the world would you connect the dots? You wouldn’t, and as a result so many people either didn’t apply on time or they just didn’t think they were eligible. Many people were denied for failing to register in time, while others didn’t realize it applied to them, especially survivors who think that it’s only for the first responders..”
The extension applies retroactively to claims that were originally denied because they were late.
