Consideration of Ghetto-work concerning the pension claim (ZRBG)
Former ghetto workers could loose one year of retroactive payment by missing the deadline of Dec 31st 2011
Since November 2011, the German Pension Fund grants former ghetto workers, who applied for an Israeli pension between May 1975 and June 2003, a retroactive payment for their ghetto pension since 1997. Before November 2011, a retroactive payment was only granted former ghetto workers, who applied for a German pension before June 2003.
Former ghetto workers, who have already received a legally binding decision by the German Pension Fund granting a monthly payment only, but not a retroactive payment since 1997, can claim a retroactive payment, but only to a limited extent.
These persons can receive a retroactive payment, if they request a reexamination of their cases. If they request a reexamination until Dec 31st 2011, they can receive a retroactive payment starting from January 2007. If they ask for reexamination in 2012, they can only expect a retroactive payment starting from January 2008. By delaying the application for a reexamination, current recipients of ghetto pensions therefore might lose an amount of approximately 1.000 to 3.000 ?.
Applications for a reexamination of legally binding ghetto pension decisions can be filed at the German Pension Fund in Germany or ? theoretically - also at the Bituach Leumi in Israel. The German technical term for this application is called ?Überprüfungsantrag?.
Former ghetto workers who did not apply for a pension yet or whose pension applications are still pending, can expect a retroactive payment starting from July 1997 if the meet the according criteria.
Further legal action will show in the future, whether all pensions have to start in July 1997. Therefore recipients of ghetto pensions should consider to file an objection against any decisions by the German Pension Fund in order to avoid that they become legally binding.