Over 70% of Holocaust survivors need financial aid – comptroller
Some 70% of Holocaust survivors require financial assistance, according to a report published Monday by State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman – up 3% from three years prior.
Three years ago, the Foundation for the Welfare of Holocaust Victims, which is under the Finance Ministry, was advised to do a comprehensive evaluation of the needs of those who survived the Holocaust and are now living in Israel. It was provided with a budget of NIS 17 million and was able to obtain data on 22% among known survivors in three years.
At the time, extra funding was given to programs within the Welfare Ministry meant to help Holocaust survivors who are home- bound. The ministry only used 30% of its budget to help needy survivors between 2018 and 2019. Yet, the ministry used all its
budget within “The National Plan,” which was NIS 58 mil. No large- scale effort to
map who are the survivors and what their needs are was attempted.
Distress buttons, which send medical help when pressed by the elderly in his or her home, are funded by donations and the 9,000 survivors who currently have them might lose them. The website maintained by the foundation as a primary source of information used by survivors to claim their pensions and rights was noted as “in need of improvement.”
The report also noted some points of improvement when compared to three years ago.
Inter- government transfer of data concerning Holocaust survivors has improved and more support was offered to survivors between 2017- 2019. The Construction Ministry created a work plan to make public housing units used by survivors suitable for the elderly. It is missing NIS 21 million to complete the work, the report found.
The report suggested the various bodies create one single information point to help survivors and to improve cooperation between state bodies and NGOs devoted to the well- being of survivors.