Income Support (Social Assistance)
Service description
You can generally receive living expenses as a social assistance benefit if you are in need of assistance and:
- neither basic income support for job seekers,
- and still receive basic income support for the elderly and for those with reduced earning capacity.
Children under the age of 15 are eligible for welfare if they:
- live with people who receive income support (usually with their parents) and
- are unable to support themselves despite having a right to alimony.
The benefits provided under the Livelihood Assistance program include:
- the flat-rate allowance to cover basic living expenses, such as food, clothing, and personal hygiene. A separate allowance is set for each family member.
- Educational and participation services for children and adolescents, such as:
- School trips,
- personal school supplies,
- Student passes,
- supplementary academic support,
- Lunch at schools or
- Club dues, music lessons, and similar expenses.
- Expenses for housing and heating.
- In exceptional cases, assumption of debt for the purpose of:
- Preventing homelessness,
- Booking your accommodations or
- to resolve a similar emergency, such as debt owed to an energy provider.
- Requirements for contributions to your health and long-term care insurance and, under certain conditions, to your retirement savings plan.
In addition to your standard benefit, you may be eligible for benefits to cover additional living expenses. You can apply for these additional benefits if you:
- meet the requirements for a disability ID card with the "G" designation and are deemed unfit for work under pension law,
- expectant mothers who are 13 weeks or more into their pregnancy,
- are single parents,
- are at least 15 years of age, have a disability, and receive assistance for appropriate schooling or vocational training as part of integration support,
- who, due to a medical condition, require a special diet that results in higher costs than a "normal" diet,
- generate hot water not through a central heating system, but using decentralized methods (such as a water heater), or
- You are a student and, due to applicable school regulations or school policies, have expenses related to the purchase or rental of textbooks or equivalent workbooks.
If you do not live alone, the social services office will take your entire family’s income into account when determining your need for assistance. This includes the income of all family members living together in the same household, such as:
- Earned income,
- Child support payments and
- Pension income.
Child support paid for minors, as well as any child support payments, are credited to the child to cover his or her needs.
Certain assets are considered exempt assets that are not taken into account, for example:
- smaller cash amounts (financial assets per adult: 10,000 EUR) or
- a suitable lot of land.
With a few exceptions, you will not receive benefits for past periods.
Procedure
Income support is provided starting from the date on which the social services office is notified of eligibility for benefits. This notification is usually made in the form of an application.
- Schedule a consultation with your local social services office. Be sure to bring all the necessary documents to the appointment.
- During the consultation, please fill out the application for living expenses assistance.
- The Social Services Office will review your application and notify you of the decision. This will be done through a written notice, which is usually sent to you by mail.
- If your application is approved, you will receive a notice of approval; if it is denied, you will receive a notice of denial.
- In both cases, the notice must state the reasons for the decision and provide information about the option to file an appeal. It must also include the deadline by which you can file an appeal.
- The approval notice must include both the amount of the benefit to be paid and the start date of payments. Starting on the date specified, the social services office will transfer the money to your account at the beginning of each month.
- Please note: You are required to report any changes in your income and financial circumstances to your local social services office immediately.
Competent Authority
Your local social services office
Note: If the application is submitted to a social services office that does not have jurisdiction, that office must forward the application to the appropriate social services office. In this case, you will be notified that the application has been forwarded.
Prerequisites
- You are in need of assistance and:
- temporarily fully unable to work, or
- receive an old-age pension but have not yet reached the age requirement for the standard old-age pension.
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You are considered in need of assistance if you are unable to fully cover your living expenses with your own resources and efforts.
You are considered to have a temporary full reduction in earning capacity if, for the foreseeable future (more than 6 months), you are unable to work regularly for at least 3 hours a day under the usual conditions of the general labor market.
- You will not receive any:
- Basic Income Support for Job Seekers,
- Basic Income Support for the Elderly and Those with Reduced Earning Capacity, or
- Basic Services for Asylum Seekers.
- You are in need of assistance and:
What documents are required?
- A valid ID card or passport; proof of residence, if applicable
- Proof of temporary total disability in the form of a pension decision or medical certificates
- Proof of income, such as for a pension, sick pay, child support, alimony, or advance alimony payments
- Proof of assets, such as savings balances
- Lease agreement and subsequent amendments, particularly with regard to the rent amount
- Proof of expenses—in addition to the rent amount and rent payments, particularly advance payments and statements for utilities and heating costs—as well as documentation of insurance premiums
- Proof of health and long-term care insurance, i.e., information regarding the health insurance provider and insurance status, or a contract for private health and long-term care insurance
Note: The scope of the required documentation—particularly with regard to proof of income and assets—varies on a case-by-case basis. Your local social services office will request additional documents from you, such as recent bank statements, divorce decrees, or alimony orders.
What deadlines do I have to observe?
You must meet the deadlines set by the social services office for submitting documents. If, for valid reasons, you are unable to do so, you must request an extension. Otherwise, the social services office may deny you benefits for failing to comply with your legal obligation to cooperate.
This also applies to the deadlines for filing an appeal—that is, if you disagree with the decision, whether it is a denial or an approval (regarding the amount of the resulting benefit entitlement).
Processing time
It depends on the specific case.
Legal basis
Legal remedy
Objection
Applications / Forms
Forms: You can obtain them from your social services office
Written form required: No
Informal application possible: Yes
Personal appearance required: No
Online services available: No
Additional Information