Holocaust survivors (archives)
Photo: Gil Yohanan
More Shoa survivors eligible for reparation
Some 13,000 needy Nazi victims in 36 countries to receive $42 million from Claims Conference negotiations with Germany; most have never before received compensation
As a result of Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany negotiations with the German government, Jewish victims of Nazism who applied to the Hardship Fund and were not eligible for payment under German government criteria will now be able to file a second application. Most have never before received a Holocaust era compensation payment.
This is a very significant breakthrough that may affect 13,000 Jewish victims of Nazism in 36 countries, including Israel, the US, Germany, Australia, and Canada. This agreement will result in more than €33 million (approximately $42 million) in additional payments directly to needy Nazi victims.
Dire Straits
Yael Branovsky
On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, some 230,000 survivors live in Israel, 60,000 are poor. Dark clouds of economic crisis, which has hampered aid groups, now added to their daily struggle of living with dignity
Negotiations were held Thursday in Berlin between the German government and the Claims Conference.
During the course of the negotiations, the German government agreed to the longstanding demand of the Claims Conference that applicants to the Hardship Fund, who upon the date of filing their application to the Hardship Fund were found not eligible, now be given the opportunity to submit a second application.
Relevant for the decision of these applications is the current situation of the applicant both as it relates to the applicant’s current age and physical condition as well as any new historical evidence that has become available.
The Claims Conference has approved more than 325,000 Nazi victims for payment under the Hardship Fund, which was established in 1980 after five years of Claims Conference negotiations.
2nd application
This decision of the German government will affect thousands of applicants to the Hardship Fund in 36 countries worldwide who, if their conditions have changed, may now be eligible for a one-time payment of €2,556 (about $3,503).The Claims Conference asks potentially eligible Nazi victims who do not receive a letter from the organization to contact them in order to commence a second application.
Up to now, once a final decision had been made on a case, a second application was not permitted under the German rules based on changed circumstances.
This decision affects Nazi victims rejected by the Hardship Fund who are alive as of 19 March, 2009. If a Nazi victim who was rejected by the Hardship Fund is alive as of 19 March, 2009, but dies later the widow/widower or if he/she is deceased his/her children can apply for a second application prior to 31 December, 2010.
A copy of the criteria of the Hardship Fund can be found at www.claimscon.org.
All changes apply only to persons who did not previously receive a payment from the Hardship Fund. It is not possible to receive a second Hardship Fund payment.
The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) represents world Jewry in negotiating for compensation and restitution for victims of Nazi persecution and their heirs.
The Claims Conference administers compensation funds, recovers unclaimed Jewish property, and allocates funds to institutions that provide social welfare services to Holocaust survivors and preserve the memory and lessons of the Shoa.
