The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund held a public forum Wednesday to help victims file their claims.

The first payments from the fund went out Tuesday to 15 first responders.

The awards range from $10,000 to $1.5 million.

Wednesday's forum at Baruch College was designed to help victims with the application process and answer any questions.

First responders who were injured or sickened must prove an economic loss.

NY1 spoke with one, retired NYPD detective Glen Klein, who said the funding is desperately needed.

"It's changed my life drastically," Klein said. "I'm on multiple medications every day for the last 10 years, 12 years. I had to change my whole lifestyle. I had to change the food that I eat, that I enjoy. I haven't been able to work, really, because of post-traumatic stress."

If recipients agree with their amount, they will get just 10 percent for now.

The rest will be paid after the 2016 application cutoff, since officials don't know how many people will apply, and the award amounts could ultimately change.