Hardship Fund FSU Frequently Asked Questions
General/Eligibility
What is the Hardship Fund?
The Hardship Fund provides compensation to Jewish Nazi victims who did not apply for compensation for their suffering under the German Federal Indemnification Law. Compensation is in the form of a one-time payment of Euro 2556.46. Funding is provided by, and according to the regulations of, the German government, but the fund is administered by the Claims Conference.
How is this different from other assistance programs?
The Hardship Fund provides a one-time payment to certain Jewish victims of Nazism. It is not a monthly pension (like Article 2 or CEEF) and there are no income or asset eligibility requirements (Article 2). The Hardship Fund is administered through the Claims Conference.
Where do I get an application form?
Many victims of Nazi persecution in the former Soviet Union will receive a shortened application form and instructions in the mail. We expect these mailings to be received by Nazi victims by December 1, 2012. If you haven’t received the form by December 1, 2012, please contact your local Hesed, download an application form or request a form in the mail from:
Claims Conference – Logistical Department
Hardship Fund – FSU
Postfach 90 05 43
D-60445 Frankfurt
Deutschland
ГЕРМАНИЯ/GERMANY
Is there a deadline to apply?
No, there is no deadline to apply.
What are the eligibility criteria for the Hardship Fund?
Jewish victims of Nazism are eligible if you have not already received a payment from another compensation program, such as Hardship Fund, Budapest Fund or Holocaust Victim Compensation Fund (HVCF). Please review the full eligibility guidelines.
My mother/father/grandmother/grandfather was Jewish but I was not raised as a Jew. Am I eligible?
Under the guidelines of the Hardship Fund, applicants are eligible if the Nazis persecuted them as Jews.
I am not Jewish but I fled from the Nazis. Am I eligible for compensation?
The Hardship Fund is only open to Jewish Nazi victims. Funding is provided by, and according to the regulations of, the German government.
I previously applied for compensation but was denied. Am I now eligible? Do I need to send in a new form?
If you have recently received an application from the Claims Conference, please follow the directions on that form.
As a result of recent negotiations with the German government, eligibility for some Claims Conference programs has been expanded. Therefore, some previous applications will be reprocessed. If your previous application for a pension is reprocessed, you will be notified and therefore you will not need to submit a new application to the Hardship Fund. If, however, you have previously applied for compensation and were denied, please submit a new application to the Hardship Fund.
My mother was persecuted while she was pregnant with me. Am I eligible?
Applicants who were a fetus at the time that their mother suffered persecution under the Nazis, as defined under the Hardship Fund eligibility guidelines, are eligible for payment under the Hardship Fund.
What is the payment amount?
The one-time payment amount is €2556.46.
When will I get paid?
The Claims Conference will endeavor to process your application as quickly as possible. However, given the tens of thousands of application that are being submitted to the Claims Conference, the process for determining your eligibility for payment can take several months. Properly filling out your application will help expedite the process.
How will I know about the decision on my claim?
You will receive a letter in the mail with the final decision. Please inform the Claims Conference about any potential address changes.
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Mailing/Logistics
What is this form I got in the mail?
Many victims of Nazi persecution in the former Soviet Union will receive a form and instructions in the mail to enable them to apply to the Claims Conference’s Hardship Fund. We expect these mailings to be received by December 1, 2012.
How do I know the mailing I have received is legitimate?
The return address on the envelope sent to you should be this:
Hardship Fund FSU Returns
Claims Conference
PO Box 1215
New York, NY 10113
USA
If you have an application that has a different return address, please inform the Claims Conference at our address in Germany. A preaddressed envelope has been included in the mailing sent to you. Please use this envelope to return your application. The address on this envelope should be:
Claims Conference – Logistical Department
Hardship Fund – FSU
Postfach 90 05 43
D-60445 Frankfurt
Deutschland
ГЕРМАНИЯ/GERMANY
I didn’t get a form in the mail, but my friend/relative did. Why didn’t I get one?
Forms were only sent out to certain people, based on information previously gathered by the Claims Conference. If you believe you are eligible and you did not receive a form, please contact your local Hesed, download an application form or request a form in the mail from:
Claims Conference – Logistical Department
Hardship Fund – FSU
Postfach 90 05 43
D-60445 Frankfurt
Deutschland
ГЕРМАНИЯ/GERMANY
I got a form but my friend/relative did not. What should he or she do?
If your friend/relative hasn’t received the form by December 1, 2012, he or she should contact their local Hesed or download an application form or request a form in the mail from:
Claims Conference – Logistical Department
Hardship Fund – FSU
Postfach 90 05 43
D-60445 Frankfurt
Deutschland
ГЕРМАНИЯ/GERMANY
Can I use the form my friend/relative received in the mail?
Please do not use a form sent to anyone other than you. Doing so will only lead to delays in the processing of your claim. Information on the form is particular to you and using another person’s form will cause delay in the processing of both.
What do I do if my personal information is wrong on the form mailed to me?
Please cross out the incorrect information and write on the side the correct information. You may want to contact your local Hesed to update them with your new information.
Can I fill out the form in any language?
Application forms to the Hardship Fund may be filled out in English, German or Russian (Cyrillic). Please use block letters (no cursive).
What do I do if I think I got the wrong form?
Please complete the application as fully as possible and we will try to process your claim with the submitted information. We may need to send you an alternate form to complete, or we may request from you further information.
Where do I send my application?
Please send all applications to:
Claims Conference – Logistical Department
Hardship Fund – FSU
Postfach 90 05 43
D-60445 Frankfurt
Deutschland
ГЕРМАНИЯ/GERMANY
You may also use the preaddressed envelope included with your application form.
Another person (for example, an attorney) offered to help me fill out the form and says he can get me my payment faster. Is this true?
There is no fee to obtain or submit an application to the Hardship Fund, nor do you need to pay anyone to assist you in completing and/or submitting the form, nor will anyone be able to expedite payments in return for a fee.
Do I need to attach any documents to my form?
The application form you were sent includes specific instructions regarding documentation. Please follow those instructions.
I applied and still haven’t heard anything. Did you receive my form? Who can I call or write to? Why does this take so long?
The processing of applications takes significant time. If you applied within the last 4 weeks, please wait 60 days. Within that time period, you should receive an acknowledgement letter. If you haven’t heard from the Claims Conference after 60 days, you should write to us to check on the status of your claim.
Please send your request to:
Claims Conference – Logistical Department
Hardship Fund – FSU
Postfach 90 05 43
D-60445 Frankfurt
Deutschland
ГЕРМАНИЯ/GERMANY
My friend/relative applied after me and already has an answer but I haven’t heard. Why?
The process for determining eligibility varies from claimant to claimant and the time it takes depends on many factors, including what type of persecution the claimant suffered. Providing the Claims Conference with accurate information will help expedite the processing of your claim. However, please keep in mind that some claims will take longer than others to verify.
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Persecution
I cannot remember the details of my persecution (who I was with, where I stopped, my final refuge). What do I do?
Please provide as much information as you can, even if you remember very little. Provide as many details as possible, even if you think they may be irrelevant.
I have information to share about my persecution but there is no place to write it. What do I do?
The application form clearly identifies the information required to process your claim. If you must, you may attach additional sheets.
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Relatives of Applicant
My parent cannot fill out the form. Can I fill it out for them?
You can assist your parent, or any applicant, in filling out the application form; however, the applicant must sign the form.
My parent cannot sign the form. Can I sign it for them?
You must have Power of Attorney for your parent in order to sign this application for them.
My parent cannot remember the details of his or her persecution. What do I do?
Please ask your parent to provide as much information as he/she can, even if he/she remembers very little. Provide as many details as possible, even if you think they may be irrelevant.
My parent cannot remember/suffers from dementia/cannot tell me if he/she applied. What do I do? Can you check for me?
If your parent has applied to the Hardship Fund, he/she will receive an acknowledgment letter in the mail. If you wish to check, please write to us at:
Claims Conference – Logistical Department
Hardship Fund – FSU
Postfach 90 05 43
D-60445 Frankfurt
Deutschland
ГЕРМАНИЯ/GERMANY
I hear that people received forms in the mail, but my relative did not. Why not?
Forms were only sent out to certain people, based on information previously gathered by the Claims Conference. If you believe your relative is eligible and they did not receive a form, please contact your local Hesed, download an application form or request a form in the mail from:
Claims Conference – Logistical Department
Hardship Fund – FSU
Postfach 90 05 43
D-60445 Frankfurt
Deutschland
ГЕРМАНИЯ/GERMANY
My relative is very sick (or old). Can his/her form be prioritized?
Unfortunately, applications cannot be prioritized, despite individual circumstances. To ensure that your relative’s application is processed in a timely manner, please make sure that their application has been filled out clearly, completely and accurately, and with current contact information.
People I know have received a response; my relative is still waiting. Why? What can I do to help their claim?
The process for determining eligibility varies from claimant to claimant and the time it takes depends on many factors, such as what type of persecution the claimant suffered. Providing the Claims Conference with accurate information will help expedite the processing of every claim. However, please keep in mind that some claims will take longer than other to verify.
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Heirs
My parents were Nazi victims, but they have died. Can I apply?
No. The victim must apply him/herself. Heirs of victims who are not alive at the time of application are not eligible to file an application.
My relative applied and has since passed away – what happens to his/her claim now?
If the Nazi persecutee applied (was alive at the time of filing an application), and we subsequently determine that the applicant was eligible, then the surviving spouse is entitled to the funds. If there is no spouse, then surviving children are entitled. No other heirs are eligible.
To collect this payment, an entitled heir must contact the Claims Conference and complete the proper documentation. You may visit information about heirs to learn more about heir eligibility.
