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, except for those claimants subject to the Fairness Act’s deadline to file applications for payment by June 27, 2023. See also FAQ 1.9 ("What is the last day to file a claim?").
The USVSST Fund has paid over $3.3 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 early 2023.
The total amount available for the fourth distribution was $100 million. The USVSST Fund’s governing statute 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.
For more information about payments to claimants eligible to receive payments, see the Payment Report.
| Claim Statistics* | Total |
|---|---|
| Number of eligible claimants from the first four distributions eligible for future distributions | 15,769 |
| Number of newly eligible claimants for future distributions | 2,314 |
| Total number of eligible claimants | 18,083 |
| Total number of 9/11‑related eligible claimants | 12,355 |
|---|---|
| Total number of non‑9/11‑related eligible claimants | 5,728 |
*Data in these tables is accurate as of March 18, 2024. Data posted later may differ as the USVSST Fund and claimants update claim information.
In addition to distributions to all eligible claimants, the USVSST Fund’s governing statute provides for separate lump sum catch-up payments to two sub-groups of 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 the eligible sub-group of 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. GAO published a notice in the Federal Register related to proposed lump sum catch-up payments on December 28, 2023. Until the on-going 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.