Berlin approves record $1.08 billion aid for Holocaust survivors worldwide

Germany has approved more than $1 billion in funding for home care assistance to Holocaust survivors worldwide in 2026, according to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), the organisation responsible for negotiating compensation for victims of Nazi persecution.

Following recent negotiations between the Claims Conference and the German Federal Ministry of Finance, Germany agreed to raise home care funding for survivors to $1.08 billion next year — the largest allocation for such assistance in the organisation’s history. The funds will help ensure that Holocaust survivors can continue living safely and comfortably in their own homes.

The expanded budget reflects the increasing needs of survivors, many of whom are now in their late 80s or older and require greater medical and personal care support. According to the Claims Conference, the average age of recipients of home care assistance rose from 86 in 2018 to 88.5 in 2024. Over the same period, the number of survivors qualifying for full-time home care due to severe disabilities such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, or dementia nearly doubled.

In addition to the home care funding, the German government has pledged $205 million over the next four years to support Holocaust education initiatives. This funding will be directed toward teacher training, academic research, and the development of innovative educational tools such as virtual reality programs, aimed at expanding global awareness and understanding of the Holocaust.

The Claims Conference emphasised that the continued investment in Holocaust education remains crucial while living survivors are still able to share their firsthand testimonies.

The new initiatives are intended to preserve these accounts and ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust remain a central part of historical education for future generations.

Germany has also agreed to extend its Hardship Fund Supplemental Payments program, originally set to continue through 2027, by one additional year to 2028.

The extension will provide ongoing support to more than 127,000 Holocaust survivors worldwide.

Furthermore, non-Jews recognised as Righteous Rescuers — individuals who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust — and who currently receive monthly pensions from the Claims Conference will now become eligible for home care assistance similar to that provided to Jewish survivors.

By Tamilla Hasanova