Romanian Survivor Relief Program

Auschwitz Romanian Holocaust victims
Photo: Yad Vashem

We are pleased to announce the availability of the Romanian Survivor Relief Program (RSRP) in 2023.

The funds are to be distributed to Jewish Nazi victims who lived under Romanian regime any time between 1937 and 1944. These funds are from the restitution of communal properties wrongfully taken from Jewish communities of Romania during and after World War II.

The Caritatea Foundation was created by the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania and the World Jewish Restitution Organization. The Claims Conference is administering the distribution process on behalf of the Caritatea Foundation. The amount available is dependent on self-declared income from all sources, including work pensions, government subsidies, savings, investments and other Holocaust survivor payments.

This program is for needy Jewish Nazi victims currently living outside of Romania and Israel with annual individual income matching the levels specified below. Survivors must be alive at the time of payment. Heirs are not eligible for this program.

The one-time payment may be taxable and may affect your ability to obtain or maintain government assistance. This payment should be considered made as a result of your status as a victim of Nazi persecution. Therefore, it should be disregarded in determining eligibility for and the amount of benefits or services that are federally funded. See here and for residents of New York State, see here.

While the aforementioned law covers most common benefits, it is still your responsibility to verify if this payment is taxable and if it will affect government benefits or assistance. The Claims Conference will not be liable for any lost status, benefits or income resulting from your acceptance of this one-time payment.

Completed applications must be received by the Claims Conference in New York by March 31, 2024Late Applications will not be accepted. Payments to approved applicants are expected to be made during or after June 2024.

Survivors who were previously approved and received payment will receive a simplified opt-in form in the mail that must be completed and returned by the deadline. However, the income caps are different than previous programs. The form is currently self declaration, but proof of income may be required.

There is no fee for this application or for assistance from the Claims Conference.


Applicants must meet all of the following three criteria:

1) Must have been persecuted as a Jew; AND

2) Must have resided in one of the areas listed below sometime between 1937 and 1944;

a) Within the modern borders of Romania (including Northern Transylvania)
b) Northern Bukovina and Bessarabia
c) Southern Dobruja
d) Transnistria; AND

3) Must match one of the annual income brackets below. This fund accounts for income from all sources, including work pensions, government subsidies, savings, investments, and Holocaust survivor payments:

  • (i) Annual income below $12,000
  • (ii) Annual income between $12,000 and $21,200

Applicants may be asked to submit documentation of their financial status.


Download the Application Form Here to Apply


Completed applications must be received by the Claims Conference in New York by March 31, 2024

Late Applications will not be accepted. Payments to approved applicants are expected to be made during or after June 2024.

Please call the Claims Conference in New York +1 646 536 9100 or Frankfurt +49 69 970 7010 with any questions.

CLAIMS CONFERENCE / ROMANIAN SURVIVOR RELIEF PROGRAM

PO Box 1215, New York, New York 10113 USA

If you have never filed an application with the Claims Conference for any other compensation programs, you will be required to complete a more extensive application prior to being considered for this Romanian Survivor Relief Program. If this is your situation, please call the Claims Conference for guidance.

Support for this program was provided by the Caritatea Foundation, a foundation created by the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania and the World Jewish Restitution Organization.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Who is eligible for the Romanian Survivor Relief Program payments in 2023?

A: Eligible persons include financially vulnerable Jewish victims of Nazi persecution currently living outside of Romania and Israel with annual individual income matching the levels specified below.

Q: What are the eligibility criteria?

A: To be eligible applicants must meet all the following three criteria:

  1. Must have been persecuted as a Jew. And;
  2. Must have resided in one of the areas listed below sometime between 1937 and 1944:
  3. Within the modern borders of Romania (including Northern Transylvania)
  4. Northern Bukovina and Bessarabia
  5. Southern Dobruja
  6. Transnistria
    And;
  • Must match one of the annual income brackets below. This fund accounts for income from all sources, including work pension, government subsidies, savings, investments, and Holocaust survivor payments:
  • Annual income below $12,000                                  
  • Annual income between $12,000 and $21,200        

Q: What is the amount of the payment?

A: The payment amount depends on the applicant’s declared annual income:

  • Under $12,000: $2,000
  • $12,000 – $21,200: $1,000
  • Over $21,200: ineligible

Q: Who is administering this program?

A: The program is administered by the Claims Conference on behalf of the Caritatea Foundation, created by the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania and the World Jewish Restitution Organization.

Q: How do I apply?

A: Complete the application form available from the Claims Conference. Applications must be received by March 31, 2024. Late applications will not be accepted.

Q: How can I submit my application?

A: A physical (paper) copy of the application must be received in our office by mail, with an original signature, by the deadline of March 31st, 2024. 

Q: Can I send the application by email or fax?

A: No. A paper copy of the application including an original signature must be received by our office by mail by March 31st, 2024 to fully process the application.

Q: Do I need to submit documentation proving my financial status?

A: Applicants are requested to self-declare as to their financial situation. No financial documentation is required at the time of application. However, applicants may be asked to submit documentation proving their financial status as part of the application process.

Q: Where do I submit my application?

A: Send completed applications to:

Claims Conference / Romanian Survivor Relief Program
PO Box 1215
New York, NY 10113
USA

Q: Where can I find an application form?

A: The application forms can be downloaded from our website at:

https://www.claimscon.org/what-we-do/compensation/background/romanian/

Q: If I previously received payment from the Romanian Survivor Relief Program, do I need to re-apply?

A: Survivors who were previously approved and received payment from the Romanian Survivor Relief Program, will receive a simplified opt-in form in the mail that must be completed and returned by the deadline. The income caps are different so applicants must take care to pay attention to this question.

Q: When will payments be issued?

A: Payments to approved applicants are expected to be made during or after June 2024. Applicants must be alive at time of payment.

Q: Who can I contact if I need help with my application?

A: Please call the Claims Conference office:

  • In New York at +1 646-536-9100
  • In Frankfurt at +49 69 970 7010.

Q: Are heirs eligible for this program?

A: No, only living survivors who meet the eligibility criteria may apply and receive payment. After the applicant’s death, payments cannot be issued to heirs.

Q: Is this payment taxable or will it affect my government benefits?

A: While this payment is issued on humanitarian grounds to provide relief to victims of Nazi persecution and as such should not be subject to income tax, the ultimate taxability depends on the local tax laws and regulations in each country. Therefore, accepting this payment might impact your eligibility for certain government assistance programs or benefits. We recommend consulting with any government agencies that provide you benefits, as well as a professional tax advisor or accountant, to evaluate how receipt of this payment could impact your specific situation. Please consider your unique financial circumstances carefully. The Claims Conference is unable to provide tax advice or guide individual determinations about continuing benefit eligibility. The responsibility rests with each applicant to explore the potential tax and government benefit implications before accepting payment.