Anspruch auf Leistungen der sozialen Entschädigung Feststellung für Geschädigte

If you have suffered damage to your health as a result of a harmful event that occurred in Germany and the event and its consequences have been recognized, you can receive financial support and compensation.

Harmful events can be, for example, an act of violence (physical and psychological), medical treatment or a vaccination. The compensation helps to compensate for any loss of income and to cover the costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation. Possible beneficiaries may be those who have been injured in civilian service, victims of war, vaccination victims or victims of violence.

Please note that your regional association (LVR or LWL) decides whether and to what extent you will receive support.

Coordination takes place with the relevant authority, which will inform you which benefits you may be eligible for. These may include counseling and support services, as well as benefits for medical treatment, participation, care dependency, psychotherapeutic services, care services and pensions.

If necessary, you must provide evidence.

The following evidence is required for the initial application:

• Proof of the damaging event, for example: Evidence of the criminal proceedings (police reports, court decisions, court judgments, witness statements), medical certificates, evidence of the consequences of the injury, or evidence of the vaccination
• Medical certificates on the consequences of the injury and treatment history
• Other medical documents (e.g. hospital report, therapy report)

• You have suffered a health impairment in Germany due to a damaging event and can prove the direct or substantial connection.
• The health impairment has resulted in physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments that continue to exist.
• You have your place of residence or habitual abode in Germany and
  • you were temporarily abroad at the time of the offense and suffered a damaging event there, or
  • You are temporarily resident abroad but have suffered a harmful event in Germany, or
  • You have your permanent residence abroad but have suffered a damaging event in Germany.

Submit the completed application for social compensation for injured parties together with all the necessary documents to your local Landschaftsverband (Landschaftsverband Rheinland or Landschaftsverband Westfalen Lippe). The responsible authority is the Landschaftsverband in whose district you have your place of residence or habitual abode. The authority will examine your application and decide on the granting of the benefit and its scope. You will receive a notification of the decision and, if applicable, information about the benefits granted as well as other necessary evidence.

You can apply for social compensation benefits online or in writing.

• If necessary, you can make an appointment with your contact person at the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (Social Compensation Department Tel: 0221 809 5401; e-mail: SER@lvr.de) or Landschaftsverband Westfalen Lippe (Office for Social Compensation Law Tel: 0251 591 01; e-mail: SER@lwl.org).
• We will then discuss with you whether you are entitled to social compensation benefits and what support services can be offered.
• If necessary, the case management can discuss the further procedure and possible benefit claims with you, which go beyond the general duty to provide information and advice.
• If you are entitled to social compensation benefits, your contact person will discuss the next steps with you.
• The contact person will provide you with the relevant documents. If necessary, complete the documents, enclose the required evidence or supporting documents and send the documents back to the Landschaftsverband responsible for your application.
• Your entitlement will be determined ex officio on the basis of the documents. The authority will inform you of the result in the form of a decision, which is usually sent to you by letter.
• If entitlements to benefits have been determined, you will receive an approval notice. If no entitlements are determined, you will receive a rejection notice.
• However, you also have the option of submitting the application online. To do this, you must complete the online application and upload the necessary supporting documents.
• The eligible costs will be transferred to the account you have specified.

The prerequisite for processing is that all mandatory information has been provided.

Appeal: An appeal can be lodged against a decision within one month of its notification. Further information on how and where to lodge an appeal can be found in the notification of your application.

• Entitlement to social compensation benefits for victims
• Eligibility requirements: Recognized harmful event with harmful health consequences
• Costs: the application is free of charge
• Discretionary benefit, no legal entitlement
• Responsible: Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR) and Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL)
• Examples of harmful events: Consequences of war, vaccination damage, acts of violence