Hardship Fund

The Claims Conference has approved 495,983 Jewish victims of Nazi persecution for payment from the Hardship Fund, and has paid a total of approximately
$1.5 billion.

The Holocaust Victim Compensation Fund (HVCF) is now part of the Hardship Fund. If you did not yet apply to the HVCF, please apply instead to the Hardship Fund. You cannot apply for or receive a payment from the Hardship Fund if you received a payment from HVCF.

Фонд компенсаций жертвам Катастрофы (“HVCF”) теперь является частью Фонда Hardship Fund. Если Вы еще не подали заявление в HVCF, пожалуйста, обращайтесь в Hardship Fund. Вы не можете получить выплату из Hardship Fund, если Вам уже была выплачена компенсация из HVCF.

Under the terms of the West German Indemnification Laws (BEG), direct compensation was limited to former German citizens, refugees and stateless persons. Holocaust survivors living in Soviet bloc countries received no indemnification. During the period of détente between the United States and the Soviet Union, many survivors immigrated to the West, thus qualifying as refugees. They were still excluded, however, from German compensation programs, which had a filing deadline of 1969.

Beginning in 1975, the Claims Conference negotiated for proper compensation to survivors who were refugees from Soviet bloc countries, including trying to obtain an extension of the BEG filing deadline, but to no avail. Finally, in 1980, the Federal Republic of Germany created a “Hardship Fund” of DM 400 million. It was to be paid to survivors as one-time payments of DM 5,000 (now €2,556) each, with five percent of the amount set aside for institutional grants.

The German government created this fund only under the condition that the Claims Conference, rather than Germany, administer applications and payments.

Based on the original size of the fund, it was estimated that 80,000 Holocaust survivors would benefit from it—principally, people who had escaped from the Soviet bloc with virtually no resources.

With the collapse of Communism, far more Holocaust survivors from the former Soviet bloc countries emigrated to the West, increasing the need for Hardship Fund compensation. In subsequent negotiations, the Claims Conference secured an additional DM 135 million for the funding of the Hardship Fund through the end of 1992, as well as DM 10 million for institutional grants in Israel. Thereafter, provision for funding of the Hardship Fund was made part of the 1992 agreement covering both the Hardship and Article 2 funds and has continued to date.

The Hardship Fund continues to provide financial relief for many aging Jewish victims of Nazi persecution.

Please Note: The amount of Hardship Fund compensation is set by the German government and is a fixed Euro amount. Currency exchange fluctuations between the Euro and other currencies will affect the amount of compensation payments received when the Euro is converted into local currencies.

IMPORTANT: HARDSHIP FUND EXPANSION FOR FORMER SOVIET UNION

The Hardship Fund is now open to residents of all Eastern European countries, including the Baltic States. Current residents of the former Soviet Union (other than the Baltics), please see http://www.claimscon.org/what-we-do/compensation/fsu/ for information about eligibility and applications.

NONE OF THE CURRENT HARDSHIP FUND FORMS ARE ACCEPTABLE FOR THE NEW FUND. FOR INFORMATION ON THE NEW FUND, PLEASE SEE: http://www.claimscon.org/what-we-do/compensation/fsu/. THERE IS NO FEE TO APPLY OR TO OBTAIN A FORM. YOU DO NOT NEED TO PAY TO GET A MOSCOW RED CROSS VERIFICATION PRIOR TO APPLYING AND SUCH VERIFICATION WILL NOT ASSIST YOUR CLAIM.

ВАЖНО: HARDSHIP FUND ТЕПЕРЬ ОТКРЫТ ДЛЯ БЫВШЕГО СОВЕТСКОГО СОЮЗА

Hardship Fund теперь открыт для жителей всех стран Восточной Европы, включая страны Балтии. Жители стран бывшего Советского Союза (кроме стран Балтии), должны перейти по ссылке http://www.claimscon.org/what-we-do/compensation/fsu/fsu-ru/  для получения информации о критериях и анкетах.

НИ ОДИН ИЗ ПРЕДЫДУЩИХ  БЛАНКОВ ЗАЯВЛЕНИЙ HARDSHIP FUND НЕ ЯВЛЯЕТСЯ ПОДХОДЯЩИМ ДЛЯ НОВОГО ФОНДА.  ДЛЯ ИНФОРМАЦИИ О НОВОМ ФОНДЕ ПЕРЕЙДИТЕ, ПОЖАЛУЙСТА, ПО ССЫЛКЕ: http://www.claimscon.org/what-we-do/compensation/fsu/fsu-ru/. ПЛАТА ЗА ПОЛУЧЕНИЕ БЛАНКА ЗАЯВЛЕНИЯ ИЛИ ЗА ПОДАЧУ ХОДАТАЙСТВА НЕ ВЗИМАЕТСЯ. ВАМ НЕ НУЖНО ПЛАТИТЬ ЗА СПРАВКУ МОСКОВСКОГО КРАСНОГО КРЕСТА ДО ПОДАЧИ ЗАЯВЛЕНИЯ, ТАКАЯ СПРАВКА НЕ ПОМОЖЕТ ВАШЕМУ ХОДАТАЙСТВУ.