NCJ Number
252929
Date Published
May 2019
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes the benefits, claims process, appeals process, performance, and contact information for the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (PSOB), which is administered by the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
Abstract
Stakeholders of the PSOB are the U.S. Justice Department and local, state, federal, and tribal public safety agencies, as well as national organizations. The PSOB provides death benefits to the survivors of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders whose death or catastrophic injury was the direct and proximate result of an injury that occurred while performing a job-related activity. BJA's PSOB Office works closely with survivors, injured officers, and first-responder agencies to obtain the required documentation under the PSOB law and its administrative regulations. The PSOB provides a one-time benefit to eligible survivors of public safety officers whose deaths were the direct result of an injury sustained in the line of duty on or after September 29, 1976. The PSOB also provides a one-time benefit to public safety officers who were permanently and totally disabled as a result of a catastrophic injury sustained in the line of duty on or after November 29, 1970. A qualifying injury must permanently prevent officers from performing any gainful work in the future. In addition, the PSOB provides support for higher education to eligible spouses and children of public safety officers who died in the line of duty or were catastrophically disabled in the line of duty. A web-based claims portal is designed to streamline the claims application submission and review process. This report describes the claims and review processes for death, disability, and education benefits, as well as the appeals process for those whose claims are denied.