Under the German Law for the Payment of Pensions for Periods of Employment in a Ghetto, commonly known by the German acronym “ZRBG” or as the German “Ghetto Pension” Law, victims of Nazi persecution may receive credit toward a pension under the German social insurance system if they performed non-forced work during their confinement in a ghetto during World War II.

To receive credit toward a “Ghetto Pension” under the ZRBG, an individual must meet the following conditions:

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  status as a victim of Nazi persecution;

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  forced residence in a ghetto in a territory that was in an area within the national socialist (Nazi) sphere of influence; and

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  work performed for remuneration while living in the ghetto.

The German Statutory Pension Insurance agency, the Deutsche Rentenversicherung, processes pension applications for “Ghetto Pensions” under the ZRBG. In addition to a monthly old-age pension, applicants may receive a lump-sum payment representing retroactive benefits that are deemed to have accrued prior to the commencement of the pension payments.

The German statutory pension insurance agency, the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (German acronym, “DRV”), issues the ZRBG “Ghetto Pension” award notices

Prior to October 2005, the notices were issued by the Landesversicherungsanstalt (“LVA”) or the Bundesversicherungsanstalt für Angestellte (“BfA”).

The award notice is called a “Rentenbescheid” (“Pension Notice”), or simply “Bescheid” (“Notice”), and is written in German. If the notice relates to a ZRBG “Ghetto Pension”, the following language may appear:

Die

    vom [date] bis zum [date]

zurückgelegten Zeiten einer Beschäftigung in einem Ghetto wurden nach dem Gesetz zur Zahlbarmachung von Renten aus Beschäftigungen in einem Ghetto und zur Änderung des Sechsten Buches Sozialgesetzbuch als “Ghetto-Beitragszeiten” anerkannt. Für diese Zeiten gelten Beiträge als gezahlt.

TRANSLATION:

The period(s)

from [date] through [date]

of employment in a ghetto was (were) recognized as “ghetto contribution periods” pursuant to the Law for the Payment of Pensions for Periods of Employment in a Ghetto and the amendment of the Sixth Book of the Social Code. For these periods, contributions are deemed paid.

Although this language can be anywhere in the notice, it usually appears within the first several pages, in a section entitled, “Berücksichtigung von Zeiten” (“Credited Periods”). The German phrases quoted in this section might not appear in every notice related to a ZRBG “Ghetto Pension.” If the German phrase does not appear, the payments might still be a German social insurance payment under the ZRBG.

Use the following chart to determine whether to count as income German social insurance payments under the ZRBG (“Ghetto Pension” Law).

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  SI 00830.005 General Rules for Developing Unearned Income

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  SI 00830.105 Payments in Foreign Currency

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  SI 00830.500 Dividends and Interest

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  SI 00830.710 Payments to Victims of Nazi Persecution

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  SI 01130.610 Payments to Victims of Nazi Persecution

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  SI 01130.611 German Social Insurance Payments Under ZRBG (“Ghetto Pension” Law)

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  SI 01130.700 Identifying Excluded Funds That Have Been Commingled With Nonexcluded Funds

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  SI 04070.010 Title XVI Administrative Finality – General Reopening Policies

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  SM 01005.525 Case Related Data

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  SM 01301.785 Case Related Data (CG)

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  SM 01305.200 Unearned Income and Exclusions (UM)

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  SI 04070.010 Title XVI Administrative Finality - General Reopening Policies