New regulations which aim at depriving certain Jewish widows and orphans in Germany of the pensions to which they are entitled, were issued this week in Berlin jointly by the German Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Finance, and published in the Juedisches Nachrichtenblatt of Jan. 6 which reached here today.
The regulations provide that Jewish widows and orphans will henceforth receive not more than half of what non-Jewish widows and orphans of Jewish pensioners are to receive, and only when it is established that “all other means of support are exhausted.” While payments to these widows and orphans who fall in the non-Jewish categories is to start automatically with the death of the Jewish head of the family, the survivors classified as Jews, will, under the new regulations, not receive such payment before they submit a petition for the pension to proper authorities. The beneficiaries classified as Jews are also required to immediately give notice of any change in their circumstances which might justify reduction or cancellation of their benefits.
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