Published: September 9, 2026
Last fact-checked: September 9, 2026
Current status: DOJ’s September 8 claims snapshot reports 53,954 claims received under Public Law 119-21, including 10,262 approved, 43,641 pending and 51 denied.
Deadline status: RECA claims remain open through December 31, 2027. The official source does not specify a separate time-of-day cutoff or mailed-postmark rule.
The RECA claims update shows a large pending caseload, but its 99.5% approval figure does not mean a new applicant has a 99.5% chance of approval. DOJ calculates that percentage only among claims already disposed of—approved or denied. Pending claims are excluded from that denominator. Applicants should use the correct claim category, preserve supporting records and keep their RECA claim number once DOJ issues an acknowledgement.
Key facts
- DOJ’s September 8, 2026 snapshot lists 53,954 claims received under Public Law 119-21.
- Of those claims, 10,262 are approved, 43,641 are pending and 51 are denied.
- DOJ reports $718,164,184 approved; the table does not establish that the same amount has already been paid.
- The 99.5% figure is the approval rate among disposed claims, not all received claims.
- RECA applications may be filed electronically or by mail through December 31, 2027.
RECA claims update: what the September 8 numbers show
DOJ’s September 8 awards table separates newer claims received under Public Law 119-21 from claims received before July 3, 2025. The newer cohort includes Downwinder, Onsite Participant, Manhattan Project Waste and Uranium Worker claims.
Compared with DOJ’s September 4 snapshot, the newer cohort increased by 609 total claims. Approved claims rose by 55, pending claims by 553 and denials by one. Approved dollars increased by $4,225,000. These are differences between cumulative snapshots, not a measure of how quickly any individual application moved.
What does the 99.5% approval rate actually mean?
| Measure | Calculation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Approval rate among disposed claims | 10,262 ÷ (10,262 + 51) = 99.5% | Pending claims are excluded. |
| Approved share of all received claims | 10,262 ÷ 53,954 = 19.0% | A snapshot share, not a prediction of eligibility. |
| Pending share of all received claims | 43,641 ÷ 53,954 = 80.9% | Pending does not mean denied or approved. |
The denominator matters. A 99.5% disposed-claim approval rate cannot be used as an individual applicant’s probability of success because most claims in this cohort remain pending. DOJ has not published an individual queue position, processing-time guarantee or payment date in this data table.
Who may qualify—and who is not automatically covered
The DOJ RECA program page describes four amended claimant categories: Downwinders, Onsite Participants, Uranium Workers and people affected by Manhattan Project waste. Survivors may qualify in circumstances specified by the statute and claim forms.
Living in a listed state or having worked near a covered site does not by itself establish eligibility. Depending on the category, DOJ requires specified disease, location, duration, participation or employment conditions. Manhattan Project waste claims also use designated ZIP codes and category-specific compensation rules.
How to file and what records to preserve
DOJ now allows electronic filing through the official RECA Claim Portal. Applicants may also mail the correct category form with supporting documentation. DOJ says applications cannot be submitted by email.
- Keep proof of qualifying residence, employment or onsite participation.
- Preserve medical records showing the compensable diagnosis.
- Keep identification and survivor-relationship records required by the applicable form.
- Retain copies of everything submitted and any delivery confirmation.
- After receiving an acknowledgement, use the assigned RECA claim number in future communications.
The Downwinder claim form also provides a specific record-recovery option for tribal members: an applicant may authorize the RECA Program to request tribal enrollment information by providing the requested affiliation details and completing the attached release.
If your claim is already pending
DOJ warns applicants not to send standalone evidence unless they have an active claim. Evidence that cannot be matched to an active claim may be destroyed. Supporting evidence should accompany a completed claim form or a cover page identifying the RECA claim number and affected individual.
The program says acknowledgement letters may be delayed because of high application volume. For application questions, DOJ lists 1-800-729-7327, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, and Civil.RECA@usdoj.gov. Email is a contact channel, not an application method.
Bottom line and next update
The September 8 snapshot shows a rapidly growing RECA caseload, not a 99.5% approval promise. The safest reading is that 99.5% of claims already decided in the Public Law 119-21 cohort were approved, while 43,641 claims were still pending.
Fiscal Wire should update this article when DOJ publishes a newer claims snapshot, issues revised regulations, changes application instructions or alters the December 31, 2027 filing deadline.
This article provides general consumer information. It is not individualized legal, medical, tax or financial advice.
Official Source Stack
Direct sources supporting the material claims in this report.
- Official agency release September 8 awards table
- Official agency release September 4 snapshot
- Official agency release DOJ RECA program page
- Official agency release official RECA Claim Portal
This report provides general news and educational information for a U.S. audience. It is not individualized financial, credit, legal, tax, insurance or investment advice. Verify current procedures through the linked official sources.
