9-11 victims comp fund accepting claims

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- The Sept. 11th Victims Compensation Fund has begun accepting claims applications on its Web site, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday.

Special Master Sheila Birnbaum said claimants who have registered for the fund can complete an online eligibility form that will be used to determine whether they are eligible for compensation through the fund.

The fund was created by Congress shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the United States to compensate the victims of the attack or their families in exchange for their agreement not to sue the airline corporations involved.

The Web site is www.vcf.gov.

Claimants determined to be eligible will be asked to complete the compensation form, which will be used to determine the amount of compensation they are owed, the Justice Department said in a release.

Birnbaum said seminars and resources will be scheduled soon to assist claimants and their families with the process.

Claimants who suffer from a covered condition have until Oct. 3, 2013, to file a claim, she said. Others will have two years from the date on which they know or should have known of the condition for which they seek compensation until the fund stops accepting claims in 2016.