It follows an agreement between the Claims Conference and the German government.
Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat, Special Negotiator for the Claims Conference, stated that the agreement was reached during a period of challenging fiscal policy for Germany. ”Nevertheless, the German government demonstrated steadfast commitment to its responsibility,” he said.
The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) has reached a historic agreement with the German government.
The budget for home care for Holocaust survivors will be increased to 923.9 million euros for 2026. This represents the highest amount for this purpose in the organization’s history.
Gideon Taylor, President of the Claims Conference, called the increase essential. He pointed to the complex and growing needs of the ever-older and increasingly vulnerable survivors. The average age of a survivor receiving this care has risen from 86 years in 2018 to 88.5 years in 2024. The number of people eligible for full daily assistance due to severe conditions such as dementia has nearly doubled in that same period.
Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat, Special Negotiator for the Claims Conference, stated that the agreement was reached during a period of challenging fiscal policy for Germany. ”Nevertheless, the German government demonstrated steadfast commitment to its responsibility,” he said.
Simon Reznik, a Holocaust survivor in Tampa Bay, Florida, testified to the importance of the aid. “My caregiver is my light. Without her help, I wouldn’t be able to manage the simplest things,” said the nearly blind man.
In addition to home care, funding for Holocaust education has been extended until 2029. A total of 175 million euros has been allocated for this over the next four years. Greg Schneider, Executive Vice President of the Claims Conference, said that investing in education, utilizing new technology, is a moral obligation.
An additional payment from the Hardship Fund for more than 127,000 survivors has been extended until 2028. Newly, the Righteous Rescuers, non-Jews who rescued Jews during the Holocaust, are now also eligible to claim home care. Rüdiger Mahlo, the Claims Conference’s representative in Europe, called this expansion particularly encouraging. “These men and women risked their lives. This support helps them in the final phase of their lives,” said Mahlo. Furthermore, the widows and widowers of these rescuers can now receive a transition allowance.
Ambassador Colette Avital, herself a survivor and a member of the negotiating delegation, finds it deeply meaningful that the German government, eighty years after liberation, continues to uphold its responsibility. Every survivor and every rescuer deserves to be seen, heard, and cared for with dignity.
Sources:
Claims Conference Announcement: “Over $1 Billion in Home Care Secured by the Claims Conference for Holocaust Survivors Globally – Largest Social Welfare Budget in the Organization’s History”, dated October 29, 2025.
Additional statement from Rüdiger Mahlo, representative of the Claims Conference in Europe