Basic Income Support for Job Seekers Under SGB II

You can submit your initial application online with complete flexibility. You also have the option to download the form from the Downloads section of this page, print it out, fill it out, and submit it by email, mail, or in person. Please note that simply downloading the forms does not constitute an application. Only the date of receipt by mail or submission at the district job center counts as the date of application.

Eligibility for education and participation benefits is assessed directly as part of the initial application. A separate application is not required.

Please review the checklist of additional required documentation. The documents listed are essential for processing your application.

When submitting your application online, you can upload the required documents and supporting evidence directly during the application process. You have the option to save your application and continue the process at a later time. To do so, you must provide an email address. A confirmation and your unique application ID will be sent to this email address as proof of your application.

We would be happy to offer you a personal consultation at the Fulda District Job Center or its Hünfeld branch office. During this consultation, we will inform you about the requirements for applying for basic income support. If necessary, we will conduct an initial needs assessment. You will also receive the application forms and an overview of the supporting documents and paperwork that must be submitted.

Please note that you will first receive an automated confirmation that we have received your appointment request. Once we have approved your request, you will receive a second email containing a four-digit appointment code. Please use this code to check in at the terminal. Your appointment request is not considered confirmed until you have done so.

We require various supporting documents for your application for benefits under Book II of the Social Code (SGB II). Please submit the required documents for all individuals for whom benefits are being requested.

From the list below, select the documents that apply to your personal situation. You can find all the required forms in the download section on this page.

In any case, we need the following documents:

• Identification document (ID card(s), passport) → Please bring your ID with you to your in-person appointment for identification purposes
• Documents Regarding Housing and Heating Costs
• Proof of income—for at least the last 3 months
• Bank statements (complete!) for all existing accounts covering the last 3 months for all individuals listed in the application

Depending on the specific case, we may require additional documentation. This may include:

Personal Information

• Work/Residence Permit
• Supplementary Sheet for the Residence Permit
• Proof of health insurance number (e.g., health insurance card)
• Social Security Card(s)
• Proof of the due date (e.g., prenatal care record)
• Power of Attorney
• Current certificate(s) of residence from the municipal/city administration
• Certificate of Severe Disability

Housing Costs (Rent)

• (Sub)lease Agreement
• If applicable, a rent certificate or rental offer
• Heating Cost Statement / Gas Provider Classification Notice
• Latest utility and heating bill
• If applicable, a housing offer in the event of plans to rent a new apartment

Housing Costs (Homeownership)

• Supplement on Home Ownership with Documentation of the Fees to Be Paid
• Heating Cost Statement / Gas Provider Classification Notice
• most recent utility bill, if applicable
• Land Registry Extract
• Transfer Agreement
• Homeownership Loan Agreement
• Interest Statement for Home Ownership
• Proof of Building Insurance

Accommodation Costs (Shared Housing)

• FD 5500 Fee Notice
• If applicable, a housing offer in the event of plans to rent a new apartment

Maintenance

• Divorce Judgment
• Alimony Judgment or Order
• UVG Decision (Youth Welfare Office) / Proof of Child Support Payments
• Correspondence with an Attorney
• Proof of Paternity (Children Born Out of Wedlock)

Income

• Employment Contract / Apprenticeship Contract
• Pay stubs for the last 3 months
• Termination by the Employer
• most recent income tax assessment
• Notice of Approval or Amendment for ALG I, or a certificate stating that there is NO entitlement to ALG I (Employment Agency)
• Notice of Employment / ALG I Pay Statement (Employment Agency)
• Benefit/Decision Notice (Basic Security Benefit) from the previous benefits provider in the event of moving to the Fulda district
• Pension Notice
• Notice Regarding Health Insurance Benefits
• Proof of Child Benefit
• Parental Leave Notice
• BAföG Decision Notice
• BAB Decision
• Latest housing allowance decision
• Latest Notice Regarding the Child Supplement
• Proof of all other income, including income from abroad, if applicable

Self-Employed Individuals

• Documents on the Information Sheet for Self-Employed Individuals
• Statement of Revenue and Surplus
• Appendix EKS (Self-Assessment)
• Questionnaire for Self-Employed Individuals Completed in Full

Assets / Investments

• Bank statements (complete!) for all existing accounts covering the last 3 months for all individuals listed in the application

Miscellaneous

• Proof of coverage / premium invoices for all existing insurance policies
• Documentation of visitation arrangements for children who spend time with the other parent

Mediation

• Survey form, application package (including resume) for all individuals of working age
• School Certificate

• Rights and Responsibilities in the Integration Process Signed

If your benefit period for basic income support is ending and you are still in need of assistance, you must submit an application for renewal in a timely manner. You can obtain this application in person at the district job center’s service offices or download it online.

Please submit the completed application for renewal, along with all required documents, no earlier than the first day of the last month of your current authorization notice.

If the fields provided on the form are not sufficient, please attach a separate sheet of paper and write your information there.

Applications for education and participation benefits are submitted directly through the form. A separate application is not required.

You are eligible for basic income support for job seekers if you:

• have reached the age of 15 but have not yet reached the statutory age limit (between 65 and 67, depending on the year of birth),
• are able to work,
• have their habitual residence in the Federal Republic of Germany and
• are in need of assistance, that is, if their current income and/or assets are insufficient to cover their living expenses.

Eligibility for benefits also extends to the people living with you in your household. It is based on the personal and financial circumstances of your household and is determined on a case-by-case basis according to your specific needs. For this reason, we also need a number of details and documents from you and the people living with you in the household.

If you reside permanently in the Fulda district (including the city), the Fulda District Job Center is responsible for reviewing and determining your eligibility for benefits. If you reside outside the Fulda district, the job center responsible for your place of residence will handle your case.

A key factor in determining the amount of benefits to which you are entitled is whether you live with others in what is known as a “needs community” or “household community.” This is because, within a needs community, all members—along with their personal circumstances (income and assets)—are included in a joint calculation. That is why we also need the information and documents from the people who are part of your needs-based community.

The law (in this case, SGB II) precisely defines who constitutes a benefits community. These are:

• The beneficiary who is capable of working (without whom basic income support for job seekers cannot be granted).
• As the partner of the eligible beneficiary of working age
  : - the spouse with whom the beneficiary does not live in permanent separation,
  - the domestic partner with whom the beneficiary does not live in permanent separation,
  or - the person with whom the beneficiary lives in a so-called "community of responsibility and mutual support" ("marriage-like relationship")

• The unmarried children of the eligible beneficiary of working age or the beneficiary’s partner who live in the same household, provided they are not yet 25 years old.
• The parents or a parent (with a partner, if applicable) of an unmarried child under the age of 25 who is able to work

Children who have already turned 25 and live in the household of a benefit recipient are no longer part of the benefits community. If they are able to work, they form their own benefits community and must therefore submit their own application for basic income support for job seekers (Grundsicherungsgeld) if their eligibility is to be assessed.

The concept of a household is broader. A household includes all persons living together on a long-term basis, regardless of gender, age, or family relationships (e.g., in-laws, grandparents and grandchildren, foster children and foster parents).

In summary:

Simply put, you generally form a “benefit community” together with the closest family members living in your household. Your family is therefore your benefit community. However, since there are exceptions and special circumstances that must be taken into account on a case-by-case basis, determining who belongs to the benefit community is not always straightforward. That is why the District Job Center handles this for you. If you are unsure or have any questions about this in advance, please feel free to contact us for advice.

Anyone who wishes to receive basic income support for job seekers must first apply for it (see above).

Basic income support is always paid in a single lump sum in advance each month. This means that payments you receive at the end of the month are intended for the following month (example: payment credited on November 28 = SGB II benefits for the month of December). In addition, you may also receive payments from us during the current month. These are usually back payments. You will be informed of the reason for and the amount of the back payment in a notice.

If you have your own bank account, the money will be deposited into your account via bank transfer. However, you can also designate the account of a family member or another third party for the payment (e.g., your landlord, if you want us to transfer the rent directly to them).

If you do not have a bank account and can demonstrate that you are unable to open one, you may be eligible to receive a SocialCard (Visa debit card). This card is identical to other Visa debit cards in both functionality and design, and allows you to make payments in stores as well as withdraw cash. For more information about the SocialCard, please contact your assigned benefits case worker.

Benefits are usually provided as grants, which means they do not have to be repaid.

However, there are also cases in which the law provides for the granting of loans. These are either deducted directly from your standard benefits at a rate of 5% while you are receiving basic income support, or must be repaid by you once you stop receiving benefits. When and how the loan is repaid depends on the purpose for which it was granted. If we grant you benefits in the form of a loan, you will be informed of this in advance. You will then also receive a loan notice specifying the loan amount and the repayment terms.

In addition, it may happen that benefits were paid to you in error, or that you yourself caused the circumstances qualifying you for assistance through intentional acts or gross negligence. This may be the case, for example, if we are required to grant you benefits because you lost your job through your own fault. In these cases as well, you may be required to repay the benefits that were (wrongfully) granted to you.

From the time you submit your application, you are required to report any changes in your personal or financial circumstances. These include, for example:

• a change in your marital status (separation/marriage),
• the renewal or modification of your residence permit,
• changes in your income and financial circumstances,
• the departure or arrival of a family member,
• the start or termination of gainful employment,
• the granting of a pension,
• a planned move or a temporary absence (e.g., a hospital stay).

This also applies to family members living with you.

You can find detailed information about your obligations to cooperate on pages 13 and 14 of our application form (initial application in the Downloads section).

If a change is coming up or has already occurred, please let us know right away

• by phone
• during a meeting with your assigned benefits specialist, case manager, or staff members at the service center, or
• in writing (letter, email, fax)

with.

As a rule, we will then ask you to provide proof or documentation of the changes that have occurred. Based on this information, we can determine whether the change(s) affect your entitlement to benefits and, if necessary, recalculate your benefits.

If you are unsure whether you need to report a change, please contact your benefits administrator, case manager, or the staff at our service center. They will be happy to advise you and provide you with the necessary information.

If you receive basic income support, you are required to have statutory health and long-term care insurance. This means that, as part of the benefits we provide, we pay your monthly health and long-term care insurance premiums to the health fund, and you are therefore covered by mandatory insurance through your current health insurance provider. This also applies to your family members, provided they are able to work and are at least 15 years old. Children under 15 are covered under their parents’ family insurance.

Exceptions to this rule apply when the benefits granted are provided only once or in the form of a loan. In addition, there are special cases that require an individual review and consultation. These include, for example, situations where you had private health insurance before benefits began or where you are unable to work. In these cases, you will receive further information on the procedure from your assigned benefits case worker.

The basic security benefit consists of various amounts (standard needs, any additional needs, and needs for housing and heating), which are offset against any existing income.

The standard benefit covers, in particular, expenses for food, clothing, personal hygiene, household goods, household energy (electricity), and personal needs of daily life. This also includes, to a reasonable extent, participation in the social and cultural life of the community. The amount of the standard benefit depends on your age and family status. The standard benefit is adjusted (updated) by the federal government as of January 1 of each year, taking into account changes in nationwide conditions (net income, consumer behavior, and price trends), provided that an increase in the amount is calculated.

Yes, it is generally possible to provide benefits in kind (e.g., furniture vouchers) and/or food vouchers. However, this option is used only in exceptional cases. As a rule, benefits are provided in the form of cash payments.

If we provide you with benefits in kind or food vouchers, this does not constitute an additional benefit; you will receive these in lieu of cash benefits.

The waiting period that applies to housing costs means that your base rent and utility costs (for homeowners: interest and property expenses) are generally recognized at their actual amounts—that is, counted as a need—in the calculation of benefits during the first year you receive basic income support. Since July 1, 2026, the actual amount covered has been subject to an upper limit. Accordingly, housing costs during the waiting period may be taken into account up to a maximum of one and a half times the locally applicable reasonableness threshold. Exceptions may be made to this upper limit, for example, for households with children.

An extension of the waiting period is possible if your benefit payments are interrupted for individual months. At the same time, along with your approval notice, you will receive information on whether your housing costs are reasonable or unreasonable (=too expensive) and, if applicable, for how long any unreasonable housing costs may be taken into account in the benefit calculation.

If your housing costs remain unreasonable after the end of the one-year grace period, we will send you a notice containing specific information and a deadline for reducing your costs.

The waiting period does not apply in the following cases:

• for heating costs,
• if you rent a new apartment without the approval of the responsible benefits agency (see “What costs are covered when I move?”),
• if the recipient is already receiving basic income support benefits and only the reasonable costs—rather than the actual costs—of the current residence are taken into account,
• with regard to the unavoidable costs of maintenance and repair for owner-occupied residential property.

Your approval notice will already include information on whether your housing costs are reasonable or unreasonable (=too expensive) and, if applicable, how long any unreasonable housing costs may be taken into account when calculating your benefits.

Whether the housing you live in is adequate generally depends on the following factors:

• the number of people living in the apartment and
• the location of the apartment (i.e., where you live)
• the size of the apartment
• the specific circumstances of the individual case (e.g., a severe disability with the AG, BL, or H designation that must be taken into account).

Please note: Before renting an apartment that you cannot afford on your own, you should definitely obtain prior approval from your contact person at the local district job center to avoid any negative consequences.

Therefore, before renting an apartment, submit a complete rental offer from the landlord. You can obtain the “Rental Certificate / Rental Offer” form at the service center or in the download section.

Utility costs may be charged as an advance payment or as a flat fee. If you intend to rent an apartment for which the landlord charges a flat fee for utility costs, separate criteria for reasonableness apply on a case-by-case basis.

The following regulations apply to Fulda, Petersberg, Künzell, and Eichenzell (Comparison Area I):

The following regulations apply to Bad Salzschlirf, Burghaun, Dipperz, Eiterfeld, Flieden, Großenlüder, Hofbieber, Hosenfeld, Hünfeld, Kalbach, and Neuhof (Comparison Area II):

The following regulations apply to Ebersburg, Ehrenberg, Gersfeld, Hilders, Nüsttal, Poppenhausen, Rasdorf, and Tann (Comparison Area III):

If you are under 25 years of age and still live with your parents, you may move out of your parents’ home only for serious social reasons, in addition to the requirement to enter the labor market.

You must present these reasons at the Fulda District Job Center. Your individual case will then be reviewed accordingly.

If you move out of your parents’ home without our consent, the Fulda District Job Center will not take your housing and heating expenses into account when calculating your benefits.

Likewise, you are not eligible for a security deposit, moving and renovation costs, or initial furnishings for the apartment. Furthermore, you will continue to receive the standard benefit amount under Level 3 (standard benefit for adult children).

The statutory provisions of Section 22(5) of SGB II apply.

Please always discuss your relocation plans in advance with your assigned benefits case worker. Under certain circumstances, we may be able to provide financial assistance for your move. This is possible, for example, if we have asked you to move because your apartment is too expensive, or if you are starting a new job and your workplace is unreasonably far from where you live. In these cases, your move is necessary. It may also be considered necessary if your apartment has become significantly too small due to a change in your family circumstances.

In any case, however, it is important that your new apartment is suitable. This will be assessed by the benefits agency responsible for your new place of residence. If you have found an apartment in the Fulda district, you can use the overview (on this page under “How much can my apartment cost, and which housing costs are taken into account when calculating benefits”) to check in advance whether the apartment you’ve found meets the requirements.

Please note: Utility costs may be required as an advance payment or as a flat rate. If you intend to rent an apartment for which the landlord charges a flat rate for utility costs, separate criteria for determining reasonableness apply on a case-by-case basis. However, the determination of reasonableness is ultimately based on the decision of your assigned benefits case worker, who will certify this for you or have it certified by staff at the service center.

If your move is necessary and your new apartment is suitable, reasonable moving expenses and any renovation costs that may arise can be covered upon request and in consultation with the responsible Job Center or benefits case worker. It may also be possible to receive an interest-free loan to cover a security deposit.

Please note the following before your move:

Expenses for housing and heating, as well as housing search and/or moving costs and a security deposit incurred as a result of the move, may be covered if 1
. the move is necessary and 2
. the expenses for the new housing are reasonable.

To verify the assurance, please submit the following documents:

• A specific rental offer; if applicable, the rental certificate from the download section can be used for this purpose
• if available: documentation of additional costs, such as the amount of the security deposit

Please submit separate applications for:

• Rental Deposit
• Moving Costs
• Direct payments to landlords or gas and electricity providers
• Renovation Costs When Moving In or Out
• Initial equipment

A security deposit may, in some cases, be covered as a loan (up to 3 months' base rent). Moving and renovation costs may also be eligible for reimbursement. However, you will need to consult with your case worker regarding this matter.

 Possible consequences of a lack of assurance:

• Grants/loans for moving expenses, rental deposits, and cooperative shares may not be available in some cases
• Higher rent for the new apartment may not be taken into account

Termination:

Please remember to observe the notice period specified in your current lease agreement!  

There is no special right to terminate a contract based on a request to reduce costs or solely on the basis of receiving SGB II benefits.

Appropriateness Limits:

The reasonableness limits are generally based on the net base rent for the respective place of residence and the number of people moving in. You can find the reasonable net rent (excluding utilities) in the reasonableness criteria for the Fulda district (see FAQ). Reasonable utility and heating costs are covered.

If you intend to rent an apartment with a flat-rate service charge, a separate reasonableness assessment must be conducted based on the sum of the net base rent and the service charges. In the Fulda district, separate reasonableness criteria apply in this regard, which take the flat-rate service charge into account accordingly. In these cases, the net base rent alone should not be used as the basis for the reasonableness assessment.

Therefore, please submit a specific rental offer for our review.

Apartment Listings:

Below is an overview of the housing associations in Fulda that you can contact to find an apartment. You can also look for apartment listings from private landlords, such as Vonovia or WEVATO GmbH, as well as in daily newspapers, classified ads, and other sources.

Moving out of the Fulda district:

Please note that different reasonableness criteria apply in municipalities and cities outside the Fulda district. Only the relevant agency (the local Job Center) can approve the new rent or security deposit.

Renovation costs:

As a general rule, it is assumed that living space can be rented after renovation. Therefore, please review your lease agreement and consult with your landlord. However, if renovations are necessary to make the apartment habitable, please submit a written request.

If you're planning to move, you'll need:

• Rental offer specifying the base rent, utilities, and heating costs
• Written explanation for the move
• If necessary: Applications for loans (e.g., security deposit) or moving expenses, etc.
• Approval for the move from your current service provider—that is, the Jobcenter where you are currently registered

 So be sure to plan your move carefully and contact us well in advance!

If you have any further questions, please contact the Fulda District Job Center.

The district job center generally does not cover household energy costs (electricity); you are responsible for paying these yourself.

You may be eligible for one-time benefits for:

• initial furnishings for the home, including household appliances (but only when establishing a new household for the first time; not for replacements due to wear and tear or defects),
• clothing needs during pregnancy,
• baby essentials at birth (including a crib and stroller) and
• for the purchase and repair of orthopedic shoes, repairs to therapeutic devices and equipment, and the rental of therapeutic devices.

To receive one-time benefits, you must apply for them separately, though no formal application form is required.
Depending on what you are applying for, a member of our field staff will assess your needs on-site. Therefore, please specify exactly what you need in your application. Please also note that assistance provided under the Basic Income Support for Job Seekers is limited to what is absolutely necessary (both in terms of the items themselves and the amounts allocated for them).

If your child attends a daycare center, a family daycare, or an after-school care program, you may be exempt from the costs. However, this exemption is not granted by the Fulda District Job Center, but by the responsible youth welfare office.

To qualify, you must submit an application for coverage of the cost contributions to the Youth Welfare Office in the City of Fulda or Fulda District (depending on your place of residence) and include a copy of your current approval notice (basic income support) with the application.

Do you need further information or the aforementioned application for coverage?
You can obtain it:

• from your local youth welfare office in the city of Fulda or the Fulda district,
• from the daycare center the child attends, or
• on the websites of the City of Fulda and the Fulda District.

If it can be demonstrated that the child care costs are not covered by the Youth Welfare Office in a specific case, it may be possible to determine whether these costs can be covered as part of the basic income support benefits. This may be possible under certain conditions. For further information and to have your case reviewed—please submit the Youth Welfare Office’s denial decision to your assigned case manager at the district job center.

The Education and Participation Package includes:

• the costs of field trips organized by the school or daycare center,
• the costs of school field trips lasting several days (in accordance with school regulations) or recreational trips lasting several days organized by the daycare center (up to 600.00 euros for domestic trips, up to 900.00 euros for international trips),
• the provision of school supplies in the form of lump-sum payments, which are transferred on August 1 (currently: 130.00 euros) and February 1 (currently: 65.00 euros) of each year,
• School transportation costs (available starting in 11th grade or the introductory phase of the G8 curriculum, if the nearest school is more than 3 km from the student’s place of residence and there is no primary provider of services),
• the costs of academic support (these are subject to certain conditions; please speak with your case worker about this),
• the cost of lunch at school and at the daycare center,
• Coverage of costs associated with participation in social and cultural life (up to a flat monthly rate of 15.00 euros for children and adolescents ages 0–17, e.g., for club activities, music lessons, or summer camps).

Income:
In general, all monetary receipts constitute income; these include, for example:

• Income from work (self-employed or employed)
• Child Support Payments
• Unemployment Benefits or Sick Pay
• Income from Principal and Interest
• Income from Rentals and Leases
• Child Allowance, Parental Allowance
• Pensions (including those from abroad)

Benefits in kind that you receive from your employer or as part of the Federal Volunteer Service or Youth Volunteer Service also constitute income.

However, the income to be taken into account does not have to consist solely of recurring payments; one-time payments also constitute income that we must include in your benefit calculation. These include, for example, income tax refunds or Christmas bonuses.

Please note that, as part of your obligation to cooperate, you are generally required to report any income to us promptly and without being asked. We will then review each case individually to determine whether and how this income should be taken into account in your benefit calculation.

Exemption Rules for Earned Income:
If you receive basic income support and are also employed, you are entitled to a so-called basic deduction for necessary expenses incurred as a result of your employment. This is automatically deducted from your net pay as a flat rate of 100.00 euros per month. This means that earned income up to 100.00 euros is not counted as income. However, you are still required to report these activities and the income earned from them to us.

If your monthly income exceeds 400.00 euros and you can provide proof of expenses that exceed the basic deduction of 100.00 euros—such as travel expenses, union dues, auto liability insurance, or similar expenses, this amount may be increased on a case-by-case basis.

To ensure that those who work have more money than those who are not employed, there are additional tax exemptions in addition to the basic deduction. These are calculated based on the amount of your gross income as follows:

• If your gross income is between 100.01 and 520.00 euros, you will also receive a 20% tax exemption on the amount exceeding 100.00 euros (up to a maximum of 84.00 euros).
• For the portion of gross income between 520.01 and 1,000.00 euros, a 30% exemption is granted.
• If your gross income exceeds 1,000.00 euros, the exemption amount increases by an additional 10% of the amount between 1,000.01 and 1,200.00 euros.
• If you live in a household with at least one minor child, the upper limit increases from 1,200.00 to 1,500.00 euros, amounting to 10% of the gross amount, which falls between 1,000.01 and 1,500.00 euros.

Your available household income—which consists of your earned income and the supplemental benefits you receive, in this case, basic income support for job seekers—will therefore increase by the amount of the allowance granted. Consequently, you have more money available each month than if you were not employed.

Increased tax-free allowance on income from employment for people under 25:
Young people (under 25) may keep income from part-time jobs held while in school or college and from vocational training, as well as income earned by participants in the Federal Volunteer Program and the FSJ (Voluntary Social Year), up to the mini-job limit (currently 603.00 euros). This also applies during a three-month transition period following the completion of secondary school (graduation).

For young people, the basic exemption—which is deducted from income from employment or training stipends—is 603.00 euros. This is known as the “minijob” threshold. The new exemption is always tied to the marginal earnings threshold and changes in tandem with it. In addition to the basic exemption, there is the earned income exemption. This depends on the type of income and the amount of income.

In addition, there are a few special rules: for example, regarding income from volunteer work (tax-exempt expense reimbursements), income from the Federal Volunteer Service for those over 25, the consideration of additional deductions if you are obligated to pay child support, or the deduction of a so-called insurance flat rate if you have other income (not earned income).

Your assigned benefits case worker will be happy to provide you with information about these and other regulations on a case-by-case basis.

As a general rule, existing assets must be used primarily to cover one’s own living expenses and those of the person(s) living in the same household before benefits under the Basic Income Support for Job Seekers program can be received.

Assets include, for example: cars, real estate (including property abroad), bank balances, cash, checks, securities, stocks, mutual fund shares, savings bonds, home savings contracts, and gifts received over the past ten years. Therefore, we must carefully review what assets you have in order to determine your eligibility for benefits.

However, not all of your existing assets or those of your family members need to be liquidated and used to cover living expenses, as there are exemptions and assets that are protected by law from being spent or used (= protected assets). You can therefore receive basic income support for job seekers despite having assets, provided that these do not exceed the upper limit, which is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Examples of so-called “protected assets” include:

• adequate household goods,
• a suitable vehicle for each person of working age in your household,
• all insurance policies intended for retirement planning,
• an owner-occupied single-family home with a living area of up to 140 m² or an owner-occupied condominium with a living area of up to 130 m² (for each person beyond the first four living in the apartment or house, the eligible living area increases by 20 m² per person),
• Effective July 1, 2026, an age-based exemption will apply to each person in your household (under 30 years of age: €5,000; 30–39 years of age: €10,000; 40–49 years of age: €12,500, age 50 and older: €20,000).

Determining the specific amount of exempt assets is a complex process and always depends on the individual circumstances of each case. Please list all your assets and any changes to them when you submit your application and throughout the period you are receiving benefits, so that we can advise you correctly. If you have any questions, please contact your assigned benefits case worker.