Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment: Frequently Asked Questions

Please see below for additional answers
to questions about the second payment

1) Who is eligible for this payment?

Anyone who is alive and has been approved for a Hardship Fund Payment OR received a one-time payment from the BEG and does not receive a pension as compensation for persecution during the Holocaust. 

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. The Claims Conference mailed personalized pre-populated application forms to potentially eligible survivors. If you think you are eligible and did NOT receive an application form in the mail by January 31, 2021, please contact us at the Claims Conference office nearest you. https://www.claimscon.org/about/contact-us/

4) How can I send in my application form?

Applications can be sent by mail, fax, and email.

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

Via Fax:

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

Via Email:

5) How much money will I receive?

The fund will pay eligible claimants two supplemental payments, each in the amount of €1,200 for a total of €2,400. There will be two installments, the first at the end of 2020 or in early 2021 and the second will be paid in 2022.

6) What if I moved since I last was in contact with the Claims Conference?

We are accepting address changes via mail, and will begin accepting address changes over the phone starting January 3, 2021. Please call the Claims Conference nearest you for assistance. https://www.claimscon.org/about/contact-us/

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:

  • A photocopy of a document granting legal guardianship/power of attorney
  • A photocopy of the authorized representative’s government-issued ID
  • A copy of the claimant’s government-issued ID.

 8) Does my application need to be certified?

Your application will explicitly state if it needs to be certified, or if we require various additional documents (such as a photocopy of your government ID and birth certificate). If you have any questions about your specific application after receiving it please contact us at:

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)

Via Email:

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.

10) Are there any heir payments?

Yes, if the survivor applied and is found eligible but passes away before the payment could be made, the surviving spouse may be entitled.  If there is no surviving spouse, children may be eligible. No other heirs are eligible. Surviving spouses and children should contact the Claims Conference. 

11) Is there a deadline for applying?

The deadline to apply is December 31, 2022.

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

No, we are not able to send checks, you must have a bank account opened in your name.

13) Do you need my bank information?

Yes, payment will be wired to your bank account. Please fill out the bank details in the personalized application. Please note that if you are a resident of Russia, Ukraine, or Belarus, no banking information is needed, as payment will be issued through Alfa Bank, Privat Bank, and the Belarus Foundation.

14) Do I need to complete a Life Certificate to get the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment?

There is no need to complete a Life Certificate, but you must be alive as of December 1, 2020 or at the time that you submit your Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment application (the later of the two) to receive the payment.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Second Payment

1) Who will receive this payment?

Anyone who received the first installment of the Hardship Fund Supplemental payment prior to December 10, 2021 and (i) has not passed away and (b) has not received a pension such as Article 2 or CEEF since the previous Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment.

2) Do I have to file a form or complete Paneem verification to receive this payment?

No, if you received the first payment, the second installment will be wired to your account.

3) How much will the second installment be?

The second and final installment of the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment will be €1,200, which combined with the previous payment of €1,200, totals €2,400.

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

As long as you did not change your bank details, you will receive the second payment. That said, we would appreciate it if you can notify us of your new address, in case we have news to share with you in the future. Please call us at:

  • 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 email us at:

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

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 in advance, please let us know. We will ask you to fill out a new bank details form and send it back to us.

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

Yes, a child or spouse might be eligible for the second installment if the survivor received the first Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment and passed away before receiving the second installment. No other heirs are eligible. If we know that the survivor who received the first payment passed away, we will not send the second payment, instead we will try to contact the surviving spouse and/or children. If you did not hear from us, you should contact the Claims Conference at:

  • 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 email us at:

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?

The second Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment will be made to you and IF you are approved for the RSP payments, the second Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment of €1,200 will be deducted from the future payments.

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

Due to COVID 19 we have encountered unexpected delays in the processing of some cases. As of mid-December, the Claims Conference has fully processed 88% of all applications which we have received. We continue to process the remaining 12% of cases which we have received and new incoming applications. Please be assured that we are working diligently towards fully processing all pending cases. Once approved, you will receive the entire payment €2,400 in one installment.

You can check if your application is being processed at https://applicationtracker.claimscon.org

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

o Yes, you will need to submit an application form by December 31, 2022, to be eligible for this payment. If you think that you are eligible, please contact us at the Claims Conference office nearest via phone at:

  • 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?

Applications have to postdated December 31, 2022 to be processed.

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 installment of the Hardship Fund Supplemental Payment.

12) When may I expect my money?

The second installment of the Hardship Fund supplemental payment will be wired on December 24, 2021 and should appear in your bank account shortly thereafter.

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