Jf&CS wants to keep all clients and non-clients up to date with the latest Claims Conference negotiations.

The Claims Conference recently announced the results of their negotiations with the German Government. The results of the negotiations will benefit many survivors. Specifically, the negotiations resulted in:

1. Supplemental Hardship Payments for Holocaust Survivors eligible for the Hardship Fund. Each survivor will receive a supplemental payment of 1200 euros, approximately $1,400, in each year for a total of $2,800 over two years. It is estimated that approximately 240,000 survivors will be eligible for these additional payments. The Claims Conference will be sending out short-form applications to everyone in their database that qualifies by the end of November. If someone has not received the form by the end of November, they should call the Claims Conference at 646-536-9100 or info@claimscon.org. If you are currently a JF&CS client, we have provided the Claims Conference with your most recent address. If you are not a client and have moved since you last communicated with the Claims Conference, you will need to notify the Claims Conference of your new address by mail. The attached Supplemental Hardship Payment Frequently Asked Questions, both in English and Russian, provides important information about these payments.
2. Recognition of 27 "open ghettos" in Bulgaria and Romania. Survivors from these newly-recognized "open ghettos" will be eligible for Claims Conference compensation payments. Please call the Claims Conference to discuss potential eligibility at 646-536-9100.
3. The German Government directly providing to spouses of BEG recipients who died after January 1, 2020, and do not get a BEG spouse pension, a "transitional payment" of up to nine months.
4. An additional $36,000,000 over last year's funding for social welfare services for Holocaust Survivors.
5. Guideline changes that will allow eligible survivors to get more home care hours. For more information on these guideline changes, all clients should reach out to their case manager and non-clients should call Amy Neuman, Program Manager of Holocaust Survivor Services, 770-677-9382.

Take a moment to look through these Supplemental Hardship Payment Frequently Asked Questions