Germany has agreed to increase its financial assistance for Holocaust survivors worldwide to a record €923.9 million ($992 million) for 2026, following annual negotiations between the Claims Conference and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Finance.
The funding boost includes an additional €30 million ($32 million) for home care, bringing the total to the highest level in the organization’s history. The education budget on Holocaust remembrance was also extended by another year, with an additional €3 million ($3.2 million), reaching €48 million ($51.4 million) in 2029. In total, €175 million ($187 million) will be allocated for Holocaust education over the next four years — €276 million ($295 million) since the program’s inception.
The Hardship Fund Supplemental Payments, providing annual stipends of €1,450 ($1,550), have been extended until 2028, benefiting more than 127,000 survivors worldwide.
Non-Jewish Righteous Among the Nations — those who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust — will now also be eligible for home care assistance similar to that provided to Jewish survivors, ensuring they can age with dignity in their own homes.
According to the Claims Conference, the average age of survivors receiving home care support has risen from 86 in 2018 to 88.5 in 2024. Survivors today face more complex medical and physical challenges: those who once needed light household help now often require daily assistance with bathing, dressing, and mobility. The number of survivors eligible for full support due to severe conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia has nearly doubled.
“The historic increase in welfare funding, particularly for home care, reflects the growing and complex needs of Holocaust survivors around the world,” Gideon Taylor, president of the Claims Conference, said. “While we lose many survivors each year, those who remain are older and more fragile than ever. This funding is critical to ensuring they can age in dignity — the dignity stolen from them in their youth.”
Stuart Eizenstat, the organization’s ambassador for negotiations, added: “The budget increase comes despite Germany’s challenging fiscal climate, rising energy costs, and higher defense spending. This agreement demonstrates the German government’s enduring commitment to Holocaust survivors and Holocaust education.”
The Claims Conference said that home care programs allow survivors to remain safely and comfortably in their own homes — a crucial benefit for people who were uprooted from theirs during the war.
Germany also renewed its commitment to Holocaust education programs through 2029, with a total investment of €175 million for the next four years. The funding will support teacher training, academic research, and the development of innovative educational tools — including film, gaming, and virtual reality experiences — to reach broader audiences at a time when global surveys show a decline in Holocaust awareness and a rise in antisemitism.
Greg Schneider, executive vice president of the Claims Conference, said: “It is our duty to invest in Holocaust education while survivors are still among us to share their stories firsthand. Using advanced technologies to preserve their testimony will ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten.”
Colette Avital, Holocaust survivor and member of the negotiating delegation, added: “Even 80 years after liberation, it is deeply meaningful that the German government continues to uphold its responsibility toward those who suffered and survived. Every survivor and Righteous Among the Nations deserves to age with dignity — to be seen, heard, and cared for.”