Netherlands denies stopping Holocaust survivors’ payments

AMSTERDAM – The Dutch Foreign Ministry denied reports in Israel that it stopped or was considering stopping payments to Holocaust survivors living in Israel.

Irgoen Olei Holland, the umbrella group of Dutch citizens who immigrated to Israel, informed its members Wednesday of the Foreign Ministry’s denial following the publication on Monday in Israeli media of a report on the alleged stoppage.

“These reports are incorrect,” the Netherlands Embassy in Israel wrote in a statement it posted on its website and that Irgoen sent out. “It is in no way the intention of the Dutch government to stop these payments.”

However, the embassy’s statement also said there is a discussion about scaling back on the complementary payments referred to as WUV, which are given by the Dutch government’s Pensions and Benefits Council to needy recipients on a per-case basis in addition to special pensions given to all Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. The discussion about scaling back WUV payments is a result of additional funds that Holocaust survivors in Israel began receiving in June 2014 from the Israeli government, the statement said.

But, the statement said about the WUV payments, “no definite decisions were made and discussion on this issue is ongoing with the Israeli authorities.”