To qualify for the Holocaust survivor program, the person must be a recognized Holocaust survivor, a Jewish victim of Nazi persecution, and then apply through a local agency that receives grants from the Claims Conference. The agency confirms survivor status, completes a care-needs assessment, and arranges authorization and funding for in-home services. In many cases, no Medicaid is required.
Navigating eligibility can feel daunting, but a good agency guides families through every step. This guide explains exactly who qualifies, how the funding works, the application process, and how families in New York can get help, so a survivor can receive the dignified care they deserve.
Key Takeaways
- To qualify, the person must be a recognized Holocaust survivor (a Jewish victim of Nazi persecution), then apply through a Claims Conference partner agency.
- The process: confirm survivor status, complete a care-needs assessment, and receive authorization and funding for in-home services.
- You usually don’t need Medicaid. All Heart Homecare’s Brooklyn program serves survivors regardless of income, with no Medicaid requirement.
- Funding comes largely from the Claims Conference, which grants funds to local agencies to provide home care to eligible survivors.
- Detailed rules are set annually in the Claims Conference home care guidelines, a partner agency confirms current criteria for your loved one.
- If not approved for Claims Conference funding, families can be referred to a Jewish family service agency or explore Medicaid or private pay.
Who Qualifies as a Holocaust Survivor for the Program?
The first requirement is that the person is a recognized Holocaust survivor; generally a Jewish person who was persecuted by the Nazis or their allies during the Nazi era. This typically includes those who were:
- Held in a concentration camp, ghetto, or subjected to forced or slave labor;
- Living in hiding or under a false identity to escape persecution; or
- Forced to flee as refugees from Nazi-occupied or Nazi-threatened areas.
The Claims Conference sets the precise criteria and confirms eligibility, so the best step is to check with a partner agency about a specific situation.
Learn what the program involves in our guide What Is the Holocaust Program?.
Do You Need Medicaid or Meet an Income Limit?
This is one of the most common worries and the reassuring answer is often no.
Eligibility for Claims Conference home care is based primarily on being a recognized survivor with a need for care, and some providers serve survivors regardless of income.
All Heart Homecare’s Holocaust program in Brooklyn, for example, states that it serves survivors with no Medicaid requirement.
Detailed financial rules are set each year in the Claims Conference home care guidelines, and a partner agency will confirm exactly what applies.
See our Medicaid home care page for related options.
How Is the Program Funded?
Much of Holocaust survivor home care is funded through the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (the Claims Conference), which provides grants to local partner agencies so they can deliver services to eligible survivors, often at little or no cost to the family. The Claims Conference funds home care across dozens of countries.
You can learn more through the Claims Conference home care program, and about the national care model through theCenter on Aging, Trauma, and Holocaust Survivor Care.
How To Qualify for Holocaust Program: Step by Step
Step 1: Confirm Survivor Status
Establish that your loved one is a recognized Holocaust survivor. If they already have prior recognition or existing Claims Conference authorization, gather that paperwork — it speeds everything up.
Step 2: Connect With a Claims Conference Partner Agency
Applications go through local agencies that receive Claims Conference grants — such as a Jewish family service agency or a specialized home care provider. In Brooklyn and NYC, All Heart Homecare’s Holocaust survivor program (in partnership with JCCGCI) helps families start this process.
Step 3: Complete a Care-Needs Assessment
The agency evaluates the survivor’s needs — help with bathing, dressing, meals, medications, mobility, and more, to build a person-centered care plan and determine the level of support.
Step 4: Authorization and Starting Care
Once approved, funded in-home services are authorized and care can begin. With the right provider, care can start quickly; All Heart’s program notes services typically begin within 24 to 48 hours.
Not sure if your loved one qualifies?
All Heart Homecare’s Holocaust survivor program helps NYC families confirm eligibility, navigate Claims Conference funding, and start dignified, trauma-informed care. Talk to a care coordinator today.
What Documents You May Need
Requirements vary, but it helps to gather any paperwork that establishes survivor status and identity, for example, proof of persecution history, prior recognition, or existing Claims Conference documentation, along with basic personal and contact information.
Don’t worry if you’re missing something: the partner agency guides families through exactly what’s needed and can help locate or request records.
What if You’re Not Approved for Claims Conference Funding?
A survivor should never go without care simply because of paperwork. If your loved one doesn’t yet have, or hasn’t been approved for, Claims Conference funding, a specialized agency can:
- Refer the family to the appropriate Jewish family service agency for funding help;
- Explore other benefits, including Medicaid, where applicable; or
- Arrange private-pay home care so care can begin right away. See our personal home care and private pay home care.
Qualifying in NYC and Brooklyn With All Heart Homecare
For families in New York City, All Heart Homecare’s Holocaust survivor program in Brooklyn makes qualifying simpler. As a licensed, insured agency with more than 14 years of experience and multilingual caregivers, All Heart works with survivors who have existing Claims Conference authorization and refers those who don’t to the right agency.
The program serves survivors regardless of income, with no Medicaid requirement, and provides trauma-informed personal care, free transportation, culturally appropriate meals, socialization programs, and benefits advocacy.
Learn more about the benefits of in-home care for seniors and read our complete guide to specialized home care for Holocaust survivors.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Qualify for Holocaust Survivor Program
How do you qualify for the Holocaust survivor program?
To qualify, the person must be a recognized Holocaust survivor (a Jewish victim of Nazi persecution), and then apply through a local agency that receives grants from the Claims Conference. The agency confirms survivor status, completes a care-needs assessment, and arranges authorization and funding for in-home services.
Who counts as a Holocaust survivor for home care?
A Holocaust survivor is generally a Jewish person who was persecuted by the Nazis or their allies during the Nazi era, including those who were in concentration camps, ghettos, or forced or slave labor, who lived in hiding, or who fled Nazi-occupied or Nazi-threatened areas. The Claims Conference confirms eligibility based on its criteria, so it’s best to check with a partner agency.
Do you need Medicaid to qualify for the Holocaust survivor program?
Not necessarily. Some programs, including All Heart Homecare’s Holocaust survivor program in Brooklyn, serve survivors regardless of income and do not require Medicaid. Claims Conference funding is based on being a recognized survivor with care needs, and an agency can help determine what applies to your situation.
Is there an income limit for Holocaust survivor home care?
Eligibility for Claims Conference home care is based primarily on being a recognized Holocaust survivor with a need for care, and detailed rules are set each year in the Claims Conference home care guidelines. Some providers serve survivors regardless of income. A partner agency can confirm the current criteria for your loved one.
How do you apply for Claims Conference home care?
You apply through a local agency that receives Claims Conference grants, such as a Jewish family service agency or a specialized home care provider. The agency helps confirm survivor status, gathers documentation, completes a care assessment, and arranges authorization for funded in-home services.
What documents are needed to qualify?
Documentation typically helps establish survivor status and identity, such as proof of persecution history or prior recognition, along with basic personal information. Requirements vary, and the partner agency guides families through exactly what is needed, so gathering any existing survivor or Claims Conference paperwork ahead of time is helpful.
What if a survivor isn’t approved for Claims Conference funding?
If a survivor doesn’t have or hasn’t been approved for Claims Conference funding, a specialized agency can refer the family to the appropriate Jewish family service agency, help explore other benefits and Medicaid options, or arrange private-pay home care so the survivor still receives the support they need.
