Apply for SED victim's pension

You can apply for a special allowance if you were unjustly deprived of your liberty for political reasons in the territory of the former GDR / Soviet occupation zone between May 8, 1945 and October 3, 1990.

The prerequisite for the so-called SED victims' pension is that you were imprisoned for at least 90 days and have been rehabilitated under criminal law or have a certificate in accordance with § 10 Para. 4 of the Prisoners' Relief Act (HHG).

Please note:

• The allowance can only be granted if you are in need. Income limits apply, whereby own statutory pensions are not counted as income.
• Entitlement to the special benefit cannot be inherited.

No social compensation benefits, and therefore no victim's pension, are paid to anyone who

• has violated the principles of humanity or the rule of law or seriously abused their position for their own benefit or to the detriment of others.
• was sentenced to an individual prison term of at least three years for an intentional criminal offense and the criminal conviction is still entered in the Federal Central Criminal Register.

Please make an appointment.

•  Application for SED victim's pension PDF-File 154,58 kB
•  Declaration of financial circumstances PDF-File 180,16 kB
• Copy of the rehabilitation decision or the certificate in accordance with the Prisoner Assistance Act
• Certificate of good conduct

The special allowance is paid from the month following the application.

Case-by-case

You are required to notify us immediately of any changes in your personal circumstances, for example, your household members or your income.

• § Section 17a Criminal Rehabilitation Act (StrRehaG) - special allowance for prison victims
• § Section 10 (4) Prisoner Assistance Act (HHG) - certificate
• § 82 Paragraph 1 Sentence 1 and Paragraph 2 Social Security Code, Twelfth Book (SGB XII) - Concept of income
• Annex to § 28 SGB XII - Standard needs levels according to § 28 in Euro