A $2.8 billion fund for victims of the 9/11 attacks was reactivated by President Obama in 2011
Community members joined together for the 15th anniversary 9/11 memorial ceremony at 'Empty Sky' in Liberty State Park, Sept. 11, 2016. Neil Barris | For The Jersey Journal New Jersey residents who were injured, sickened or whose loved ones suffered harm as a result of the 9/11 attacks will begin receiving new payments from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, the fund's overseer said.
In a statement released Monday, Special Master Rupa Bhattacharyya said the fund has begun payments on "Group B" claims -- those decided by the fund after Dec. 17, 2015.
The $2.8 billion fund, which provides compensation both to those directly harmed and to "personal representatives" of deceased 9/11 victims, originally operated from 2001 to 2004 and was reactivated by President Barack Obama in 2011, according to the fund's website.
The statement said more than 500 claims for payment have been authorized, and are being made first to those with exigent circumstances, and then in order of the date they were notified of the award.
It may take up to three weeks for payments to reach claimants' bank accounts, officials said.
The fund is separate from the World Trade Center Health Program, which was created by Congress to provide monitoring and medical treatment to first responders and volunteers who responded to the attacks.
In the last 10 weeks, Bhattacharyya said, the fund issued determinations on "more than 900 compensation claims and amendments and just under 1,200 eligiblity claims and amendments."
As of Oct. 3, the statement said, the fund had paid out $2.05 billion in both Group A and B claims. The first $1 billion paid out went largely to first responders injured in the attacks. The fund's priority remains on processing claims filed before Aug. 1, when a new claim form became available, officials said.
Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.