WTC fund dispenses $24.4 million more to families

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A second wave of charity disbursements is en route to some of the families victimized by the September 11 World Trade Center attacks, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Saturday.

Giuliani said he had signed letters Friday authorizing the release of another $24.4 million from the Twin Towers Fund to 197 families of city workers who died in the acts of terrorism. The victims should receive the money within four to five days, Giuliani said.

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Last week, $8.32 million was administered to the first 73 victims families that properly finished paperwork requesting aid.

"We've committed ourselves to distributing all of the money to the people for whom the money was intended and not to create some other purpose for the donation," said the mayor.

Giuliani said a Friday ruling by the Internal Revenue Service will ease distribution of the remaining two-thirds of the Twin Towers Fund.

"This is a great victory for the victims of the World Trade Center, in order to be able to get the money that was raised for them," Giuliani said. "There were barriers to doing that and some charities felt that they couldn't distribute the money."

The New York Times reported last week that the IRS might challenge charity disbursements because they conflicted with charity tax laws. On Friday, the IRS said it would treat respect charities' tax-exempt status so long as "payments are made in good faith, using objective standards."

Giuliani said the money has been distributed according to a set formula of "objective standards."

Surviving spouses get $85,000, including a $10,000 payment designed to ease the transition from salary to pension payments. For each child age 23 or younger, another $25,000 is given, and $10,000 is donated for each adult child 24 or older. If there is no surviving spouse, the next of kin or family gets $50,000.

Of the 270 families that have received or are about to receive payouts from the fund, 26 lost Port Authority workers, 18 lost NYPD officers, 225 lost members of the FDNY and EMS, and one lost a court officer.