UK denied compensation to thousands of Holocaust victims, papers reveal

Via Jerusalem Post (h/t Honestly Concerned):

 Newly released records revealed for the first time Thursday that thousands of traumatized Holocaust survivors have struggled to receive compensation from the United Kingdom, according to The Jewish Chronicle.

The report cited documents that show that out of 4,206 applicants, less than a quarter (1,015) received benefits.

Established in 1964, the Nazi Persecution Compensation plan was designed to allocate up to 4,000 pounds ($5730) to each individual given to Britain by Germany.

But documents show that applicants were denied financial assistance if they could not prove they were held in a concentration camp or similar institution, according to the rules imposed by the British government.

Thursday saw the UK Foreign Office release over 900 documents, with four more batches expected to be made public in the coming weeks.

One example of a Holocaust survivor's battle with the UK government was highlighted by Theresienstadt prisoner Gertrude Kuhnert, who wrote numerous letters to the Foreign Office demanding more assistance.

(...)

In one internal memo drafted by the Foreign Office, the department justifies the allotment stating: “Mrs Kuhnert was as much the victim of her own nerves as anything — the Nazis do not seem to have actually done anything directly against her.”

read more