Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment: Frequently Asked Questions

Please see below for additional answers
to questions about the current payment.

1) Who is eligible for this payment?

Jewish Nazi Victims who:

  1. Have been approved for a Hardship Fund Payment OR any installments of the Hardship Fund Supplemental payment; or
  2. Received a one-time payment from the BEG; and
  3. Currently, do not receive a pension as compensation for persecution during the Holocaust; and
  4. Will be able to provide proof of life

2) If I receive a pension from the Claims Conference (Article 2), the Israeli Authority for the Rights of Holocaust Survivors, or BEG, am I eligible?

You are not eligible for the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment if you receive a pension as compensation for Nazi persecution. You are eligible if you received a one-time payment from the BEG, even if this payment was over 5,000 DM. 

3) Do I have to file a claims form to receive this payment?

Yes, you must submit an application form to be eligible for this payment.

  1. Before the payment of the 2021-22 supplemental installments, the Claims Conference mailed personalized pre-populated application forms to potentially eligible survivors.
  2. For each of the remaining years of the Hardship Fund Supplemental payment, 2024-2027, survivors who applied to the Hardship Fund Supplemental payment prior to 2024, or 2025, or 2026, respectively, do not need to fill out a new application form. However, recipients of any prior installment must complete the proof of life requirement prior to receiving the current payment. 
  3. If you think you are eligible and did NOT receive an application form in the mail, please contact us at the Claims Conference office nearest you (please see contact information at the end of these FAQs).
  4. Applications  may only be submitted by survivors, not heirs.

4) How can I submit my application form?

Applications may be sent by mail, fax, and email. We strongly encourage using email to submit your application form to ensure receipt of your application and possible faster processing time.

Please send your applications to one of the following fax numbers and emails:

Via Email:

Via Fax:

  • +1-646-536-9159 (New York)
  • +972-03-679-6281 (Tel Aviv)
  • +49-69-72-1104 (Frankfurt)

5) How much money will I receive?

In 2026, the one-time payment is €1,350. (Previously, in 2021-2023, the fund paid eligible claimants three supplemental payments, each in the amount of €1,200; in 2024, one supplemental payment in the amount of €1,250; and in 2025, one supplemental payment in the amount of €1300 for a total of €6,150.)

Eligibility for the first two HFS installments (2021-2022), required the receipt by the Claims Conference of an application form prior to December 31, 2022. Those who did not previously apply are not eligible retroactively for previous payments. Applicants who wish to apply must submit an application. If the application is received by December 31 and the applicant is found eligible, the applicant will be paid the current installment amount for the year in which the applicant applied.

6) What if I moved since I last was in contact with the Claims Conference (or after the receipt of the most recent installment)?

Please submit a written and signed address change request to the Claims Conference office nearest to you (please see contact information at the end of these FAQs). Alternatively, you may update your address through our Survivor’s Portal. 

7) If I am an authorized representative, can I submit an address change for a claimant?

Yes, you need to mail us a copy of the following:

        1. A photocopy of a document granting legal guardianship/power of attorney/other authorized representative status
        2. A photocopy of the authorized representative’s government-issued ID
        3. A copy of the claimant’s government-issued ID.
        4. A completed Doctor’s form (www.claimscon.org/doctor)

         8) Does my application need to be certified?

        Your application will explicitly state the certification requirements. If you have any questions about your specific application after receiving it please contact us (please see our contact information at the end of the FAQs)

        9) If I am a child or spouse of a Hardship Fund recipient or survivor, can I receive this supplemental payment?

        No, the Supplemental Payment can only be paid to eligible survivors. Please see Heir Information below.

        10) Are there any heir payments?

        The current Hardship Fund Supplemental payment may only be paid to Holocaust survivors who are alive at the time of payment. Heirs are not eligible for this payment.

        1. However, if the survivor applied to the  initial Hardship Fund Supplemental payment and was found eligible but passed away before the payment could be made, the surviving spouse may be entitled to that payment. If there is no surviving spouse, children may be eligible. No other heirs are eligible. Surviving spouses and children should contact the Claims Conference. 
        2. If the survivor passed away AFTER submitting the proof of life via paper Life Certificate or electronically, using PANEEM, BUT BEFORE the payment was issued, the payment may not be made to the surviving spouse or children. Recipients of the Hardship Fund Supplemental payment must be alive as of the date the payment is issued to them, not the date on which they submitted their proof of life. The Hardship Fund Supplemental payment is not transferable nor inheritable and heirs are not eligible to receive it.

        11) Is there a deadline for applying?

        1. For the first two installments, applications were required to be postdated before December 31, 2022.
        2. First-time applicants have until December 31 of the year in which they submit their application (applications must be received by December 31) to apply for the current installment.

        12) Can the Supplemental Payment be sent to me by a check?

        The Claims Conference is not able to send payments via checks. We make payments via wire transfer and will wire transfer the funds to the bank account provided or to the same bank account we used for the first installments of the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment.

        13) Do you need my bank information?  What if I closed the bank account that was used for the previous installments?

        1. Yes, we require your bank account information because we make the HFS payment via wire transfer directly into your bank account. Please fill out the bank details in the personalized application. For survivors residing in Europe, the application form will specify the payment methods available.
        2. If you closed the bank account that was used for the previous installment, inform us of the change in your bank details immediately. We require a written and signed notification for changes of bank detail information. Alternatively, you may update your bank account information through our Survivor’s Portal

        14) Do I need to provide proof of life to get the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment?

        Yes, Proof of Life verification is required to receive the HFS payments

        15) Do I need a lawyer?

        You do not need a lawyer to apply for the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment.

        16) Is there a fee to obtain an application?

        There is no fee to apply for the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment.

        17) I think I’m eligible, but I never applied to the Claims Conference before?

        Please fill out the Universal Application Form found on our website, https://www.claimscon.org/what-we-do/compensation/apply-for-compensation/, and we will notify you if you are eligible for the Hardship Fund and the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment.

        18) I received the first Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment but I have since applied to the new Regional Specific Persecution (RSP) Fund. What happens now?

        If you are approved for the RSP payment, you will only be eligible for the first Hardship Fund Supplemental payment. If the subsequent installments were made prior to approval for the RSP pension, we will deduct those Hardship Fund Supplemental payments from the RSP pension payments.

        19) I applied for the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment but have yet to receive any payment.

        Please be assured that we are working diligently towards fully processing all pending cases. Once approved, you will receive all installments you are eligible.

        20) I have yet to apply for the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment. Is it still possible to apply to receive this payment?

        If you think that you are eligible, please contact us as soon as possible at the Claims Conference office nearest to you (please see contact information at the end of these FAQs). Please note that there is a deadline of December 31 for first-time applicants who wish to receive the current installment of the Hardship Fund Supplemental payment.

        Claims Conference Contact Information

        Via phone:

        • 1-646-536-9100 (United States)
        • +972-(3)-519-4400 (Tel Aviv from outside Israel)
        • 03-519-4400 (Tel Aviv from within Israel)
        • +49 69 970 7010 (Frankfurt)

        Or by email at:

        Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Current Payment

        1) Who will receive this payment?

        Anyone who received the any installments of the Hardship Fund Supplemental payment and has not  begun receiving a pension from the Article 2, CEEF, or RSP Fund.

        However, recipients of any prior installment must complete the proof of life requirement prior to receiving the current payment. 

        2) Do I have to provide proof of life to receive this payment?

        Yes, proof of life will need to be provided. 

        3) How much will the current installment be?

        The current installment of the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment will be €1,300.

        4) I have recently moved, after the receipt of the first installments. Do I need to do anything?

        Please submit a written and signed address change request to the Claims Conference office nearest to you. Please find contact information for the office nearest you at https://www.claimscon.org/about/contact-us/

        5) What if I closed the bank account that was used for the first installments?

        We will attempt to wire the funds to the bank account that we have on file. If you did not inform us of the change in your bank details, please let us know immediately. Contact information for the appropriate office can be found here. We require a written and signed notification on the bank details change.

        6) If I am a child or spouse of a Survivor who received the first installments, can I receive the subsequent installments of this payment?

        No, in this scenario, heirs are not eligible to receive subsequent installments. Please also read the response to FAQ #10 “Are there any heir payments?” for more information as to when heirs may receive a payment.

        7) I received the first Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment but I have since applied to the new Regional Specific Persecution (RSP) Fund. What happens now?

        If you are approved for the RSP payment, you will only be eligible for the first Hardship Fund Supplemental payment. If the subsequent installments were made prior to approval for the RSP pension, we will deduct those Hardship Fund Supplemental payments from the RSP pension payments.

        8) I applied for the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment but have yet to receive any payment.

        Please be assured that we are working diligently towards fully processing all pending cases. Once approved, you will receive all installments you are eligible for.

        9) I have yet to apply, can I still apply to receive this payment?

        If you think that you are eligible, please contact us as soon as possible at the Claims Conference office nearest to you. Please note that there is a deadline of December 31 for first-time applicants who wish to receive the current installment of the Hardship Fund Supplemental payment.

        Via phone:

        • 1-646-536-9100 (United States)
        • +972-(3)-519-4400 (Tel Aviv from outside Israel)
        • 03-519-4400 (Tel Aviv from within Israel)
        • +49 69 970 7010 (Frankfurt)

        Or by email at:

        10) Is there a deadline for applying?

        To be eligible for the first two installments, applications had to be postdated before December 31, 2022.

        First-time applicants have until December 31 of the year in which they submit their application (applications must be received by December 31) to apply for the current installment.

        11) Can this Supplemental Payment installment be sent to me by a check?

        Unfortunately, the Claims Conference is not able to send checks. We will wire transfer the funds to the same bank account we used for the first installments of the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment.

        12) When may I expect my money?

        We will start making the third installment to those who have met the proof of life requirement starting April 2023.

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