WELCOME TO THE U.S. VICTIMS OF STATE SPONSORED TERRORISM FUND WEBSITE


Announcement Regarding Future Payment Rounds

The Special Master has determined that there will be insufficient funds to authorize an additional round of payments by January 1, 2024.

The USVSST Fund continues to work diligently to identify matters that qualify for deposit and to accumulate deposits. This chart provides information about the qualifying case deposits accumulated by the USVSST Fund. If sufficient funds are available for a distribution to all eligible claimants, the Special Master authorizes payments by January 1, the annual statutory date by which to do so.

Accordingly, if sufficient funds are available, the Special Master will authorize the next round of payments by January 1, 2025 or in subsequent years, until the USVSST Fund sunsets in 2039.

The USVSST Fund continues to accept applications to be considered for future payment rounds, the timing of which will depend on the availability of funds. In general, claimants must submit applications not later than 90 days after the date of obtaining the final judgment. The USVSST Fund will announce the deadline to submit applications for consideration for fifth round payments at a later time.


About the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund

The Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act (the “Act”), 34 U.S.C. § 20144, as amended, provides for the establishment and administration of the USVSST Fund to provide compensation to certain U.S. persons who were injured in acts of international state-sponsored terrorism. Mary Patrice Brown serves as the Special Master of the USVSST Fund.

The USVSST Fund may compensate eligible United States persons who:

  • hold a final judgment issued by a United States district court awarding the applicant compensatory damages arising from acts of international terrorism for which a foreign state sponsor of terrorism was found not immune from the jurisdiction of the courts of the United States under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act;
  • were taken and held hostage from the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran, during the period beginning November 4, 1979, and ending January 20, 1981, and certain of their spouses and children; or
  • are the personal representative of a deceased individual in those categories.

In general, the Act requires claimants to submit applications not later than 90 days after the date of obtaining a qualifying final judgment.

The USVSST Fund continues to collect qualifying deposits for potential future payment rounds. Victims and their family members can be assured that their claims will be processed promptly, fairly, and transparently. The USVSST Fund updates this website as further information becomes available.


Distributions to All Eligible Claimants

The USVSST Fund has paid over $3 billion to eligible claimants in four rounds of payments. The number of eligible claimants has grown with each distribution.

Special Master Mary Patrice Brown authorized fourth‑round payments for all eligible claims by January 1, 2023. On December 30, 2022, the USVSST Fund issued letters to eligible claimants specifying their fourth‑round payment amounts. The USVSST Fund issues the payments on a rolling basis, and issued over 90 percent in the first quarter of 2023.

The total amount available for the fourth distribution was $100 million. The law required the USVSST Fund to divide this amount in half, allocating 50 percent ($50 million) for 9/11‑related claimants’ payments, and the other 50 percent ($50 million) for non‑9/11‑related claimants’ payments.

Claim Statistics* Total
Number of eligible claimants from the initial, second, and third distributions eligible for future distributions 13,315
Number of newly eligible claimants for the fourth distribution 2,454
Total number of eligible claimants 15,769

Total number of 9/11‑related eligible claimants 12,117
Total number of non‑9/11‑related eligible claimants 3,652

* Data in this table is accurate as of the date of posting. Data posted later may differ as the USVSST Fund and claimants update claim information.


Lump Sum Catch‑Up Payments

In addition to distributions to all eligible claimants, legislation provides for separate lump sum catch‑up payments to two groups of USVSST Fund claimants. See FAQs 7.1 – 7.4.

9/11‑Related Lump Sum Catch‑Up Payments: The Fairness for 9/11 Families Act directed the Special Master to make payments in amounts equal to those calculated by the Comptroller General, Government Accountability Office (see GAO report here). In April 2023, the USVSST Fund informed eligible 9/11‑related claimants of their lump sum catch‑up payment amounts, and issued over 90 percent of the payments within one month.

1983 Beirut barracks bombing and 1996 Khobar Towers bombing victims: The Fairness for 9/11 Families Act also directed GAO to conduct an audit to determine proposed lump sum catch‑up payments to certain of these victims, who must have submitted applications to the USVSST Fund by June 27, 2023. Until the GAO audit process is complete, the Special Master and the USVSST Fund cannot predict the Comptroller General’s determination of these amounts, nor the resulting timing of the payments.


Reminders to Claimants

Claimants must meet all USVSST Fund requirements to receive their allocated payment amounts. This includes curing outstanding deficiencies, if any. This website provides additional information in the Direct Deposit and Payment FAQs and the general FAQs, including FAQ 4.25. There is no guarantee that eligible claimants will receive the full allocated amount, or that payments will be issued immediately.

All claimants have a continuing obligation to update claim information, including informing the USVSST Fund of any compensation from any source other than this Fund not previously disclosed, as well as significant developments involving the final judgment or other facts affecting eligibility. See Notice to Update Claim Information.


Last Updated on August 1, 2023.