RECA

Federal Benefits

Radiation Exposure Compensation Program (RECA)

Lump-sum radiation exposure compensation that survivors can claim

When someone dies Survivor benefits Forms

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division, provides partial restitution to individuals who developed certain serious illnesses following exposure to radiation from the U.S. nuclear weapons program, or to their survivors. Eligible categories include downwinders (residents of designated areas during atmospheric testing 1944-1962), onsite participants (civilian and military personnel present at U.S. atmospheric nuclear tests before January 1, 1963), uranium workers (miners, millers, core drillers, ore transporters, and remediation workers 1942-1990), and individuals exposed to Manhattan Project waste in designated ZIP codes. When the eligible individual has died, a defined class of survivors may apply in priority order. RECA was reauthorized and expanded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Pub. L. 119-21), enacted July 4, 2025; all claims must be filed by December 31, 2027.

Notifying the RECA when someone dies

A family member reports the death. RECA's page on what to do after a death →

Decide which claim category fits the deceased, and confirm the diagnosis is on that category's list of compensable diseases:

•Downwinder: present in a designated downwind area during atmospheric testing, 1944-1962
•Onsite Participant: present at a U.S. atmospheric nuclear test before January 1, 1963
•Uranium Worker: uranium mining, milling, core drilling, ore transport or remediation, 1942-1990
•Manhattan Project Waste: at least 2 years after January 1, 1949 in designated ZIP codes

Confirm who files. Survivors file in a fixed order, and no one else may file:

•The surviving spouse, if married to the deceased for at least one year immediately before the death
•Then a child, then a parent, then a grandchild, then a grandparent
•Manhattan Project Waste: only a surviving spouse or, if none, surviving children

Gather original or certified copies of the supporting documents:

•A certified copy of the death certificate and the birth certificate of the person who became ill
•The filer's birth certificate and identification, and marriage certificates or divorce decrees showing the relationship
•Proof of residence, employment or onsite participation during the qualifying period
•Medical records showing the diagnosis of a compensable disease

File the claim form for the category before December 31, 2027, through the RECA Claim Portal or by mail. Emailed claims are not accepted:

•Online: upload scans of the original or certified documents; the Program may ask for the originals later
•By mail: send originals or certified copies, not photocopies, to U.S. Department of Justice, Radiation Exposure Compensation Program, P.O. Box 146, Ben Franklin Station, Washington, DC 20044-0146

Keep copies of everything filed, and use the RECA Claim Number from the acknowledgement letter in all later contact. Send further evidence only with that number and the affected person's name; unmatched evidence is destroyed.

Return the Acceptance of Payment Form within 60 days of its date; the claim is paid within six weeks. After an approved uranium worker claim, apply also to the Department of Labor's EEOICPA at dol.gov/owcp/energy.

Required Documents

Death certificate of the person who became ill: A certified copy.
Birth certificate of the person who became ill
The filer's own birth certificate or adoption papers: With marriage certificates documenting any name changes.
Marriage certificate: for a surviving spouse. Documenting the marriage to the deceased, with divorce decrees or death certificates ending any prior marriages of either spouse.
Proof of residence, employment or onsite participation during the qualifying period: Original or certified copies, such as employment records, school records, utility bills, military records or tax records.
Medical records documenting the deceased's diagnosis of a compensable disease
Identification documentation: As described on the applicable claim form.
Completed RECA claim form for the applicable category: Downwinder, Onsite Participant, Uranium Worker or Manhattan Project Waste.

Timeline

The Program sends an acknowledgement letter once a claim is filed, though high application volume may delay it. A claim is paid within six weeks of the returned Acceptance of Payment Form.

Deadlines2

Filing a claim in any of the four categories: Downwinder, Onsite Participant, Uranium Worker and Manhattan Project Waste: by December 31, 2027; No new claims may be filed after that date unless Congress reauthorizes the program again.^{1, 2}
Return of the Acceptance of Payment Form by an approved claimant or eligible surviving beneficiary: within 60 days of the date on the form, unless the Program allows longer³

What RECA pays or provides to survivors4

Downwinder Survivor Claim

Compensation claim a survivor may file or continue

A one-time lump sum for the survivors of a person who developed a compensable cancer after being physically present in a designated downwind area during specified periods of atmospheric nuclear testing. Proof that the radiation caused the disease is not required.^{1, 4}

Who qualifies: The deceased was present in New Mexico for 1 year between September 24, 1944 and November 6, 1962; in any affected area for 1 year between January 21, 1951 and November 6, 1962; or in any affected area for the entire period June 30, 1962 through July 31, 1962.

Compensable diseases: leukemia (other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia), multiple myeloma, and lymphomas (other than Hodgkin's disease)
Primary cancers of the thyroid, breast, esophagus, stomach, pharynx, small intestine, pancreas, bile ducts, gall bladder, salivary gland, urinary bladder, brain, colon, ovary, liver (except where cirrhosis or hepatitis B is indicated) and lung
Affected areas: the states of Idaho, New Mexico and Utah
Arizona: Coconino, Yavapai, Navajo, Apache, Gila and Mohave counties
Nevada: White Pine, Nye, Lander, Lincoln and Eureka counties, and Clark County townships 13 to 16 at ranges 63 to 71

Amount: $100,000 lump sum; eligible survivors apply for equal shares of the single payment

How to apply: File the Downwinder Claim Form through the RECA Claim Portal, or mail the completed form with original or certified supporting documents to the RECA Program. Survivors file in the priority order of 28 C.F.R. § 79.71(c).

Onsite Participant Survivor Claim

Compensation claim a survivor may file or continue

A one-time lump sum for the survivors of a civilian or military participant present onsite above or within a government installation during a U.S. atmospheric nuclear test before January 1, 1963, who later developed a compensable disease. The wartime detonations at Hiroshima and Nagasaki are not covered.^{1, 5}

Who qualifies: The compensable diseases are the same as for Downwinders. A claim qualifies on the diagnosis after the onsite participation, without proof that the radiation caused the disease.

Compensable diseases: leukemia (other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia), multiple myeloma, and lymphomas (other than Hodgkin's disease)
Primary cancers of the thyroid, breast, esophagus, stomach, pharynx, small intestine, pancreas, bile ducts, gall bladder, salivary gland, urinary bladder, brain, colon, ovary, liver (except where cirrhosis or hepatitis B is indicated) and lung

Amount: $100,000 lump sum, less any VA payments for the same illness; eligible survivors apply for equal shares of the single payment

How to apply: File the Onsite Participant Claim Form through the RECA Claim Portal, or mail the completed form with original or certified supporting documents to the RECA Program. Survivors file in the priority order of 28 C.F.R. § 79.71(c).

Uranium Worker Survivor Claim

Compensation claim a survivor may file or continue

A one-time lump sum for the survivors of a uranium miner, miller, core driller, ore transporter or remediation worker at a uranium mine or mill in covered states between January 1, 1942 and December 31, 1990, who later developed a compensable disease. Proof that the radiation caused the disease is not required.^{1, 6}

Who qualifies: At least 1 year in a covered occupation and location during the covered period, or for a uranium mine employee, exposure to 40 or more working level months of radiation. Periods of mining, milling, core drilling and ore transporting may be combined.

Compensable diseases: lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, fibrosis of the lung, silicosis, pneumoconiosis, cor pulmonale related to fibrosis of the lung, renal cancer, and any other chronic renal disease including nephritis and kidney tubal tissue injury
Covered employment: uranium mines or mills in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, Washington, Utah, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon or Texas

Amount: $100,000 lump sum; eligible survivors apply for equal shares of the single payment

How to apply: File the Uranium Worker Claim Form through the RECA Claim Portal, or mail the completed form with original or certified supporting documents to the RECA Program. Survivors file in the priority order of 28 C.F.R. § 79.71(c).

Manhattan Project Waste Survivor Claim

Compensation claim a survivor may file or continue

Added by Pub. L. 119-21, enacted July 4, 2025, for a covered illness after living, working or attending school for at least 2 years after January 1, 1949 in designated ZIP codes in Missouri, Tennessee, Alaska and Kentucky affected by Manhattan Project waste contamination.^{1, 2, 7}

Who qualifies: Where the ill person is deceased at the time of filing, the surviving spouse; if there is no surviving spouse, the surviving children. Parents, grandchildren and grandparents are not eligible filers in this category.

Compensable diseases: any leukemia (if initial exposure occurred after age 20), multiple myeloma, and lymphomas (other than Hodgkin's disease)
Primary cancers of the thyroid, breast, esophagus, stomach, pharynx, small intestine, pancreas, bile ducts, gall bladder, salivary gland, urinary bladder, brain, colon, ovary, bone, kidney, liver (except where cirrhosis or hepatitis B is indicated) and lung
Designated areas: Missouri ZIP codes 63031, 63033, 63034, 63042, 63043, 63044, 63045, 63074, 63102, 63114, 63121, 63134, 63135, 63138, 63140, 63145, 63147, 63304, 63341, 63367 and 63368
Tennessee ZIP codes 37710, 37716, 37719, 37748, 37763, 37769, 37828, 37829, 37830, 37831, 37840, 37845, 37854 and 37887
Alaska ZIP codes 99546 and 99547; Kentucky ZIP codes 42001, 42003 and 42086

Amount: $25,000 to the surviving spouse, or equal shares of $25,000 among surviving children. A person living at filing receives the greater of $50,000 or documented out-of-pocket medical expenses.

How to apply: File the Manhattan Project Waste Claim Form through the RECA Claim Portal, or mail the completed form with original or certified supporting documents to the RECA Program.

What happens to each matter2

Pending claim or application: When the person eligible for compensation has died, a surviving family member files a survivor claim on the same claim form for the category. For Downwinder, Onsite Participant and Uranium Worker claims, eligible survivors apply for equal shares of the single lump sum the deceased would have received.¹
Benefit payments: If a beneficiary signs the Acceptance of Payment Form but dies before receiving the payment, it is returned for redetermination of the correct disbursement. A rejected share is not redistributed to the other beneficiaries; it returns to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund.³

What RECA's rules say7

Order of beneficiaries or payees

Survivors file in a strict priority order: the surviving spouse, if married to the person who became ill for at least one year immediately before the death; if none, a child; if no spouse or child, a parent; then a grandchild; then a grandparent.³

When the person who became ill has died, payment goes to each eligible surviving beneficiary, not to the estate.³

Who may act for the estate or the survivor

No one outside the priority order may file on the deceased's behalf. For Manhattan Project Waste, the claim form allows only a surviving spouse or, if there is none, surviving children.^{3, 7}

Proof of death accepted

Mailed claims need originals or certified copies; photocopies, even if notarized, are not enough unless certified by the issuing institution. Online filers upload scans of originals or certified copies, and the Program may later ask for the originals to validate authenticity.¹

Processing and payment

The Program is accepting claims through the electronic RECA Claim Portal and by mail, and cannot accept emailed applications. Its filing authority lapsed on June 10, 2024, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Pub. L. 119-21), enacted July 4, 2025, reauthorized and expanded it.^{1, 8, 2}

The Program is working to issue revised regulations during 2026 and adjudicates claims under the existing 28 C.F.R. Part 79 until then. All processing time frames are suspended while the Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund is not funded.¹

Coverage limits

No individual may receive more than one payment under the Act. RECA pays a single lump sum per eligible individual, which eligible survivors share when that individual has died.⁹

Fees

An attorney's fee is capped at 2% of the total award for a successful claim, or 10% where the attorney resubmits a previously denied claim or contracted for services before July 10, 2000. No fee may be charged for an unsuccessful claim.³

Help with filing and representation

A claimant or beneficiary may file without a representative, and the Program assists people who file claims. An email about a filed claim includes the name, RECA claim number and a telephone number.¹

Forms RECA issues4

RECA Downwinder Claim Form

Application for the $100,000 Downwinder payment, filed by the person who became ill or, if that person has died, by an eligible surviving spouse, child, parent, grandchild or grandparent.⁴

Completed by the person who became ill, or an eligible survivor. Available to download.

RECA Uranium Worker Claim Form

Application for the $100,000 Uranium Worker payment for miners, millers, core drillers, ore transporters and remediation workers employed 1942-1990, or their eligible survivors.⁶

Available to download.

RECA Onsite Participant Claim Form

Application for the $100,000 Onsite Participant payment, offset by VA payments for the same illness, for participants in U.S. atmospheric nuclear tests before January 1, 1963, or their eligible survivors.⁵

Available to download.

RECA Manhattan Project Waste Claim Form

Application for the Manhattan Project Waste payment: the greater of $50,000 or documented out-of-pocket medical expenses for a living claimant, or $25,000 to a surviving spouse or, if none, surviving children.⁷

Available to download.

Other agencies and offices involved2

Department of Veterans Affairs: Radiation exposure benefits; its payments for the same illness reduce an Onsite Participant award^{1, 10}
Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICPA): Additional compensation for uranium workers approved under RECA¹¹

Programs for survivors1

National Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program (RESEP): Participating rural health clinics in Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico provide medical screening for RECA illnesses at no cost and may also assist with RECA and EEOICPA claims.¹