FILE - This Dec. 20, 2012 file photo shows Tina Fey, left, and her husband Jeff Richmond at the "30 Rock" farewell wrap party in New York. After seven seasons, "30 Rock" airs its series conclusion Thursday at 8 p.m. EST on NBC. Fey serves as star, writer and creator of the series and Richmond is executive producer and the composer and arranger for the show. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, file)
9/11 fund makes 1st payments to sick responders
Published: 09:34:39 PM, Tue 29 January 2013 UTC
NEW YORK (AP) — A special fund set up by Congress is making its first payments to people who got sick after being exposed to toxic dust at the World Trade Center following Sept. 11.
A group of 15 first responders with respiratory problems will be the first to get awards from the 9/11 victim compensation fund.
Their payouts range from $10,000 to $1.5 million.
It will be years, though, before the group sees all that money.
Officials don't yet know how many people will apply for aid from the $2.78 billion fund, or the severity of their illnesses.
That means they can't yet calculate each person's share.
So for now, applicants are getting only 10 percent of their award.
The remainder won't be paid until after the fund closes to new applicants in 2016.
Tags:
lower manhattan, health, new york city, payments, person, officials, percent, congress, port authority trans-hudson, money, group, people, new york, remainder, severity, sept., fund, empire state building, world trade center, september 11 attacks, awards, respiratory problems, payouts, illnesses, special fund, victim compensation fund, sick responders, toxic dust, new applicants, 9/11, 7 world trade center, world trade center site