Social Services
The AJR’s team of dedicated social care workers attend to the day-to-day needs of those of our members requiring support, guidance and clarification on a wide range of social, welfare and care needs.
As part of their nationwide programme of home visits, social care workers assess members’ needs and, where appropriate, eligibility for a number of financial support schemes, designed to enable members to continue to live with dignity in their own homes for as long as possible.
On behalf of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, the AJR administers emergency social, welfare and care funds, which can be used to pay for a number of services and essential items including dental treatment and specialist clothing as well as urgent house repairs, recuperative convalescence and respite breaks and homecare packages.
These funds are negotiated by the Claims Conference from the German and Austrian governments and from various international compensation programmes. The most prominent of these was the $1.25 billion Swiss Banks Settlement in 1998 but others include the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC) and the Foundation: Remembrance, Responsibility and Future created primarily to pay ex-gratia awards to former slave and forced labourers.
These monies are reserved exclusively for onward distribution by recognised agencies – in Britain, the AJR is the custodian of these funds – to Jewish Nazi victims.
Specifically:
The Holocaust Survivor Emergency Fund is endowed with money from the German government, the Swiss Banks Settlement, the German Foundation and the ICHEIC.
The Fund can be used to pay for a number of services, appliances and needy items including, but not limited to, dental treatment and specialist clothing as well as urgent house repairs, hearing aids and medical consultations. Awards of up to £2,000 annually are available to people with limited means.
Homecare is partly financed by the Claims Conference with monies negotiated from the German government and ICHEIC. The objective of the scheme is to assist clients to live in their homes for as long as possible.
For care based need Homecare can cover the cost of up to six hours care at £7 an hour (maximum £42). For chore based needs – such as cleaners and gardeners – the maximum is four hours help at £7 an hour (maximum £28). Additional Care up to a further £42 per week is also considered where necessary.
The Austrian Holocaust Survivors Emergency Assistance Programme (AHSEAP) provides financial assistance to Austrian Holocaust survivors (including spouses of Austrian nationals) with low incomes and who have limited capital holdings and who require urgent medical attention or essential welfare services.
The Programme is endowed with money from the Austrian government. Awards are capped, with eligible applicants receiving up to approximately £9,500 in any twelve-month period for medical needs, including financing the cost of wheelchairs, the installation of appliances for the housebound disabled and grants to cover the cost of dental care and hearing aids. Assistance to buy into the Austrian social security pension scheme can also be given.
In addition to these programmes the AJR is able to help our members who have limited means from our own monies. As well as financial assistance, our social services department can advise on entitlement to various welfare benefits, sign life certificate forms for foreign pensions, liaise with local authorities and offer guidance with applications for social security and pensions.
To speak, in confidence, to a social worker please call us on 020 8385 3070.