9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Claims: Uterine Cancer, Deadlines, and Award Amounts

Congress created the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund in 2001, reopened it in 2011 under the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, and made it permanent in 2019 with the Never Forget the Heroes Act. It is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice and a Special Master, currently Allison Turkel.

It pays for physical harm or death caused by the attacks or the debris removal that followed. It works alongside the World Trade Center Health Program, a separate federal program that monitors and treats 9/11-related conditions and certifies which conditions are linked to exposure.

How the two programs fit together

• WTC Health Program: provides medical monitoring and treatment and issues certification letters for covered conditions.
• VCF: pays money for certified physical conditions, based on severity and lost income.

The VCF has awarded more than $16.8 billion to over 71,000 claimants since reopening in October 2011, including nearly $2 billion in 2025.

Some people also pursue lawsuits against foreign sponsors of terrorism under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act. The VCF says you can do both, but any money from that litigation is deducted from your VCF award.

All uterine cancers, including endometrial cancers, were added to the List of WTC-Related Health Conditions effective January 18, 2023, making them eligible for VCF compensation if the other requirements are met. Before then, uterine cancer was not covered, and many women were denied.

What the VCF says about uterine cancer claims

• If your claim was denied because uterine cancer was not an eligible condition, and the WTC Health Program has now certified it, you may amend your claim.
• If you already received an award for another condition, you may amend your claim to seek more money for uterine cancer.
• If you were diagnosed in the past but your cancer is not yet certified, you must get WTC Health Program certification first, even if you do not need treatment now.

Other covered conditions

The WTC Health Program list includes many cancers, such as prostate cancer, melanoma, head and neck cancers, and mesothelioma, and many respiratory and digestive conditions, such as asthma, COPD, chronic rhinosinusitis, GERD, and related sleep apnea. The VCF relies on WTC Health Program certification as proof of an eligible condition.

By law, the VCF cannot pay for psychological conditions such as PTSD, though the WTC Health Program treats them.

You must have been present at one of these places and times, and later diagnosed with an eligible physical condition:

The NYC Exposure Zone is the area of Manhattan south of Canal Street, river to river, plus a small area bounded by East Broadway and Clinton Street, and areas along debris removal routes such as barges and the Fresh Kills landfill.

You do not need to be a first responder. The VCF says residents, students, visitors, volunteers, office and business workers, and anyone who took part in rescue, recovery, or cleanup should register. Children who attended school or daycare in the zone can qualify.

Who probably does not qualify

People who were never in the covered areas during the covered dates, and people whose only condition is psychological, are not eligible for VCF payments.

Each award is calculated individually using a formula set by the VCF Act: non-economic loss plus economic loss, minus collateral offsets.

Non-economic loss (pain and suffering)

• Cancer: up to $250,000 for any one type of cancer.
• Non-cancer conditions: up to $90,000 for any one type.
• Multiple conditions: the Special Master may go above $250,000 to account for more than one cancer, or cancer plus severe non-cancer conditions.

Where you fall within the range depends on how severe the condition is and how it affects daily life, which is why recent medical records matter. Some conditions are treated as presumptively severe and can qualify for the top of the range without extra records.

Economic loss

If your condition caused you to lose earnings or benefits, the VCF can compensate past and future lost wages, supported by tax and pay records. Annual gross income is capped at $200,000 for each year of loss.

Death claims

For a death, the regulations presume $250,000 in non-economic loss plus $100,000 for the spouse and each dependent, in addition to any economic loss.

Offsets

Payments from pensions, workers' compensation, and other 9/11-related sources are subtracted. You must report new collateral payments until the VCF closes on October 1, 2090. For how different kinds of settlements affect taxes and benefits, see do you pay taxes on settlements and whether a settlement affects SSI or Medicaid.

• Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act (2001): created the original fund for victims of the attacks.
• James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (2010): reopened the VCF in 2011 for illness claims and created the WTC Health Program.
• Zadroga Reauthorization (2015): signed December 18, 2015, extended the fund, set the current caps, and capped the annual income used for economic loss at $200,000 per year.
• Never Forget the Heroes Act (2019): signed in July 2019 after the Special Master found in February 2019 that remaining money was insufficient; it fully funded the VCF to pay all eligible claims through 2090.

The lawsuit waiver

To receive VCF compensation, you must waive the right to sue over the same injury, with limited exceptions. The VCF updated its guidance on June 30, 2026 to say that product liability suits, such as talcum powder or Roundup cases, and medical malpractice suits claiming a product or doctor caused or worsened the 9/11-related condition fall within the waiver. That matters if you have, for example, ovarian or uterine cancer and are also considering a talc lawsuit. See our talc ovarian cancer page and Roundup cancer page, and get advice before choosing.

Attorney fees

Under the VCF Act, attorneys may not charge more than 10% of a VCF award. The VCF does not recommend or refer attorneys, and you can file without one.

There are two deadlines, and missing the first one can end your claim.

1. Registration deadline (individual): if you registered on or before July 29, 2021, you are timely. Otherwise, you must register within two years of the date a government entity, usually the WTC Health Program, notifies you that your physical condition is 9/11-related. The two years run from your most recent certification. If you have no certification or other determination, you may register at any time.
2. Claim deadline (same for everyone): October 1, 2090.

For a deceased victim who never registered, the personal representative must register within two years of the later of the date of death or the date the death was determined to be 9/11-related.

The VCF recommends filing a claim only after your condition is certified; claims filed without certification are placed in inactive status. See how to check a claim's status for general tips on tracking a pending claim.

1. Register. Registration takes a few minutes online and preserves your right to file. It does not obligate you to file a claim.
2. Get certified. The WTC Health Program certifies your physical condition as 9/11-related. Without certification, the VCF will not review your claim.
3. Prove presence. Submit documents placing you in the exposure zone during the covered dates. The VCF offers an interactive presence guide to help identify which documents to send.
4. File the claim. Include the certification, proof of presence, and, if you seek economic loss, tax and earnings records. If you want an award above the minimum for your condition, submit recent medical records showing severity.
5. Receive a decision. The VCF issues an award letter. If you disagree with the amount, you can request a hearing to appeal.
6. Amend when things change. If a new condition is certified, such as uterine cancer, or a condition worsens, you can amend your claim to seek more compensation.

Many claimants apply for help with presence documents from former employers, schools, landlords, or unions. For deceased victims, the personal representative named by a court or will handles the claim, and family members may share in the award. Keep copies of everything you send, because the VCF may ask follow-up questions years after your first filing.

1. Register with the VCF at vcf.gov or by calling the VCF Helpline at 1-855-885-1555, even if you are not sick. It preserves your right to file.
2. Enroll in the WTC Health Program and get each condition certified, including uterine or endometrial cancer.
3. Gather proof of presence: pay stubs, school records, leases, or statements from people who saw you there.
4. Check the lawsuit waiver before joining any product liability case over the same condition.
5. Watch for scams. The VCF will never charge a fee to register, and attorney fees are capped at 10%.

If you have a 9/11-related illness and also questions about other exposure claims, such as asbestos or military toxic exposure, a free case review takes about two minutes and can connect you with independent attorneys who handle these claims.