Job center

Job center

If you live in Germany and have no money to provide for yourself and your family, the Jobcenter may be the right place for you to go. Under certain conditions, the Jobcenter supports people who have never worked in Germany, have been unemployed for over a year or earn very little money despite working. You can receive financial support for yourself and your family from the Jobcenter. This support is called "Bürgergeld". It is the successor to "Arbeitslosengeld II", also known as "Hartz IV". The staff at the job centers will also support you in your search for a job. If it helps you find a job, the job centers can also pay the costs of German courses or further training for you.

What do I need to know?

What is the citizen's allowance?

The citizen's allowance is a basic income from the job center. It used to be called "unemployment benefit II" and was also known as "Hartz IV". It is intended to provide you with enough to cover your living costs. To be able to pay for food, clothing, toiletries, your electricity costs, bus and train tickets, etc. for yourself and your family. Single adults can receive 502 euros per month, married couples 451 euros per person and children 318 to 420 euros, depending on their age (as of 2023). The job center also covers rent and heating costs for recipients of the citizen's allowance. However, heating costs are only covered up to a certain amount. You can find out more about this in the section "How expensive and large can my apartment be?"

Can I apply for citizen's allowance?

You can receive citizen's allowance if you do not have enough money to support yourself and your family and

• have never worked in Germany,
• have been unemployed for over a year or
• earn very little money despite working.

Please note: The income of your family members also plays a role here if you live with them. You can find out more about this in the section "Do my family's income or assets also count? What is a community of need?".

However, you must also meet the following requirements in order to receive citizen's allowance:

• You have your habitual residence in Germany. This means that you live in Germany.
• You are recognized as a person entitled to asylum, refugee or subsidiary protection or have German citizenship. If you are a citizen of an EU country, you must have already worked in Germany.
• You are over 15 years old and not yet of retirement age. You can find out whether you are already of pensionable age in our chapter"Pensioners in Germany".
• You are fit for work. This means that you are generally able to work at least 3 hours a day.

Important: The job centers are not responsible for the following people:

• Asylum seekers and people with tolerated status. These people receive asylum seeker benefits, which are paid out by the social welfare office. They cannot receive a citizen's allowance.
• Students. You can find out how you can finance yourself as a student in the chapter "Financing your studies".
• People who are too old or ill to work. The social welfare office is responsible for these people.
• People who have come to Germany with a visa as a skilled worker, etc. They cannot receive a citizen's allowance.
• People who have worked in Germany for more than 12 months and paid into unemployment insurance and are now unemployed. This group of people receives financial support (unemployment benefit I) from the employment agencies.

Do my family's income or assets also count? What is a community of need?

If you are able to work but earn too little money to live on or have no work, you are entitled to citizen's allowance. However, it is not only your own income or assets that count, but also the income or assets of certain family members if you live with them. The Jobcenter calls this a "community of need".

The German state assumes that all members of a benefit community look after each other. This means that they share their money with each other and look after each other if one member has little money.

A community of need includes:

• Spouses or registered partners
• Children under the age of 25. However, this only applies if your child lives with you, is not married and does not earn any or enough money to look after themselves.
• Partners. But only if you have been living together for more than a year, or you have a child together and live together, or you both have access to each other's bank accounts, or you jointly care for children or other relatives.

Important: Flatmates in a shared flat or shared accommodation do not count as a joint household.

Do I have to use up my savings or assets?

Citizen's allowance is only paid if you cannot finance your living expenses with your own resources. In addition to income, these resources also include assets. Assets include savings and inheritances. In contrast to its predecessor "unemployment benefit II", you do not have to use up savings and inheritances first. If you have savings or inheritances, you can keep them.

Important: This rule only applies to a certain amount of your savings and is only applicable in the first year of your receipt of citizen's allowance. Single people may not have more than 40,000 euros in their account. And each subsequent family member in your community of need must not have more than 15,000 euros.

Recipients of the citizen's allowance can also have additional income. The first 100 euros are not taken into account when calculating the financial support. Higher incomes have a percentage effect on the amount of the citizen's allowance:

• Pupils, students and trainees. If you are doing an apprenticeship, studying or attending school, you can earn up to €520 per month in addition to your citizen's allowance.
• The Federal Voluntary Service, the Voluntary Social Year (FSJ) and vacation jobs are also not eligible. Volunteers can keep up to 3,000 euros per year as an expense allowance (as of June 2023).
• According to the new regulation, maternity pay is also no longer counted as income (as of June 2023).

Assets also include residential property. If you own a house or apartment, this is not important for the Jobcenter. You do not have to move and can apply for Citizen's Allowance. After you have received Bürgergeld for one year, the following rule applies:Up to a limit of

• 130 square meters of owner-occupied living space in a condominium
• up to 140 square meters of owner-occupied living space in a house

their property is not charged.

If more than four people live in the condominium or house, the area that is not counted towards the citizen's allowance increases. This is by 20 square meters for each additional person.

If your living space is even larger, this does not mean that you have to move. If your residential property (condominium or house) has a larger living space, your property could be taken into account when calculating the Citizen's Allowance. However, there are exceptions to this.

What financial support can I receive from the Jobcenter?

You can receive the following financial support from the Jobcenter:

• Citizen's allowance
• Benefits for education and participation
• Housing costs, such as rent or heating costs
• Money to have your foreign qualifications translated and notarized.
• Extra money if you are in a special life situation. This includes, for example, pregnancy or a serious illness.
• Money for furniture. The Jobcenter can give you money for furniture or vouchers for furniture for your first home.
• Entry-level allowance. The start-up allowance is financial support that you receive if you start work or set up your own business after becoming unemployed. You can find out more about this in our chapters "Starting a business as a tradesperson" and "Starting a business as a freelancer".

The Jobcenter also pays your health insurance and long-term care insurance contributions.

Can I receive citizen's allowance despite having a job or being self-employed?

Yes, if you only earn a little money from your work, you can still be entitled to Citizen's Allowance even if you have a job. However, you will then receive less Citizen's Allowance. Your salary will be deducted from the Citizen's Allowance. The more you earn, the lower your Citizen's Allowance will be. So that people who work have more money each month than people who do not work, there are so-called allowances. You can keep 20 percent of your gross income between 100 and 520 euros. If your gross income is between 520 and 1000 euros, you can keep a further 30 percent. For the part of your gross income between 1,000 and 1,200 euros (or 1,500 euros if you look after a child under the age of 18), you can keep an additional 10 percent of your income. All of this adds up to your tax-free allowance. The full allowance is deducted from your net income. The remainder of your net income is then deducted from the Citizen's Income, which reduces the Citizen's Income. If you have any further questions about the tax-free allowance, you can ask them to our community managers on our community platform " Together in Germany".

Important: You can keep all of your income up to 100 euros and your Citizen's Income will not be reduced.

I don't have enough money because of the high prices. Can I get help from the Jobcenter?

Yes, you can get help from the Jobcenter. If your income is not enough for yourself and your family, you can get some money from the Jobcenter. This amount is called "supplementary amount". Please note: Students and trainees cannot receive the supplementary amount. Students apply for BAföG. Trainees in school-based training can also receive BAföG. You can find out more about this in our chapter "School education".

The exact amount of the supplementary contribution depends on how much money you and your family have each month and how much money you and your family need.

You can apply for the supplementary amount at your Jobcenter. You can find a job center near you in the section "Which job center is responsible for me?". To do this, complete the main application for Citizen's Allowance. Do this as soon as possible. Because you will receive the money from the day you submit your application. You can find out how to complete the application and which other forms you need in the section "Where and how do I apply for Citizen's Allowance?".

Which Jobcenter is responsible for me?

You can find the job center responsible for you at jobcenter-ge.de. Click on your federal state and then on the name of your city. If your city is not on the list, you can search on the website of the Federal Employment Agency. To do this, enter the name of your place of residence or your zip code.

Where and how do I apply for Citizen's Allowance?

You apply for Citizen's Allowance at your local Jobcenter. You will need to fill in an application form. If you previously received "Arbeitslosengeld II", also known as "Hartz IV", you do not need to do anything else. The citizen's allowance replaces unemployment benefit II. You do not have to submit a new application. You keep your contact person at the Jobcenter. Your measures, such as further training, will continue as usual. The applications, notifications and letters from the job center will be adjusted step by step. The terms "Arbeitslosengeld II" may still appear in them at first. Do not let this unsettle you: The notifications, letters and forms are still valid and will be converted to Citizen's Income as soon as possible.

If you did not receive any money from the Jobcenter before January 1, 2023, you must apply for the Citizen's Allowance. To do this, fill out an application form: This is the "main application". If you live with your family, you are a community of need. You can find out who belongs to your community of need in the section "Do my family's income or assets count? What is a benefit community?". You fill out one application per benefit community. One of you is the main applicant. This must be a person who meets all the requirements in the section "Can I get citizen's allowance?".

You can download the application from arbeitsagentur.de in the area at the bottom right under "Download", print it out, fill it in and submit it to the Jobcenter responsible for you. You can also pick up a paper copy of the application from your local job center, fill it out and then submit it. You can also complete the application online. To do this, you must click on the red box "Apply for Citizen's Allowance" on the Employment Agency website. You can then search for the job center responsible for you and will be redirected to the online application.

In addition to the main application, there are various "attachments" (supplementary applications) which you must also complete as required. You must also submit evidence to support the information you provide in the application and the annexes, such as your tenancy agreement.

The amount of money you receive from the Jobcenter depends on your needs. These are paid out in addition to the standard requirement. To determine the amount, the Jobcenter needs various other forms from you. Here are the most important ones:

• Certificate of income form: Here you must provide details of your income. If you have a job but only earn very little money, your employer must complete the income certificate form.
• Appendix on income of self-employed persons (EKS): If you are self-employed but do not earn enough money, you can also receive help from the Jobcenter. In addition to the main application, you must also complete the "Appendix on the income of self-employed persons". Here you must estimate what you are likely to earn in the next few months. You will receive financial support from the Jobcenter on this basis. You then have to provide evidence of how much you have actually earned each month. Depending on the result, you will either have to pay money back to the Jobcenter or you will receive an additional payment from the Jobcenter.
• Appendix on children in the benefit community (KI): If you have children under the age of 15 who live with you, you must complete the "Annex on children in the benefit community". You must complete this application for your children so that you also receive money for them.
• Appendix on other persons in the benefit community ("WEP"): If you live with other family members, you must complete the "Annex for other persons (e.g. children over 15) in the community of need".
• Appendixfor determining the costs of accommodation and heating (KDU): This appendix is very important so that you also receive payment of the rent and heating costs.
• Appendixto the self-disclosure / determination of the financial circumstances of the community of need: Here the Jobcenter checks whether you have your own assets such as cash, savings, securities, etc. from which you can currently pay your living expenses.
• Appendix for special needs (BB): In this application, you can register special needs that last for a longer period of time due to a special situation. This could be, for example, an illness for which you regularly need certain hygiene articles or special food.
• Application for initial equipment: If you would like to submit such an application, you must talk to your Jobcenter in advance. This application is for one-off financial support.You can download the form . You can submit this application if:
  • You are moving into your first own home in Germany and need money for furniture and household goods.
  • you are having a child and need money for a baby carriage, crib, etc.
  • you have had an accident or are ill and need special aids.

You can collect all attachments directly from your Jobcenter. However, you can also find all attachments online on the Employment Agency website. There you will also find help with filling out the forms in German, English, Russian and Ukrainian.

You can also get help filling out the many forms. Addresses can be found in the section "Where can I find help and support?".

Please note: If your application is approved, it will normally be valid for six months, after which you will need to submit an application for continued approval (WBA). You can find the application for continued approval on the Employment Agency website.

What documents do I need to submit an initial application to the Jobcenter?

You will need the following documents for your first application to the Jobcenter:

• A valid passport or identity document from you and all family members you live with.
• Your residence permit including the green supplementary sheet, if you have such a supplementary sheet. And the residence permits of all family members with whom you live.
• Your police registration

You must also bring the following documents with you:

• Your completed application documents
• If available: Your last notice from the social welfare office
• Your rental agreement and, if available, your last operating and heating cost statement
• If already available: Your tax ID and health insurance card
• Proof of your German bank account. You will need this so that the Jobcenter can transfer the Citizen's Allowance to your account.
• If already available: The bank statements of the last three months of your German bank account
• If you are married: Your marriage certificate

Important: Always bring a document with which you can identify yourself to your appointments at the Jobcenter. As soon as you have a customer number or a community of need number from the Jobcenter, always bring this with you.

When and how do I receive the money from the Jobcenter?

The Jobcenter will transfer the money to your German bank account. As soon as your application is approved, you will always receive the money at the end of the month for the following month. The money for June will therefore be transferred to you at the end of May.

It is important that you submit all applications, attachments and documents to the Jobcenter as soon as possible. Only then can your application be processed.

If you do not yet have a German bank account: A bank account is very important in Germany. You are free to decide which bank you open your account with. Make sure that you can withdraw money free of charge. And be sure to compare the fees for account management. These vary greatly from bank to bank. If you speak little or no German or English, an interpreter is recommended. Do not sign anything you do not understand.

If you would like advice, you can contact the consumer advice centers. The staff there will advise you free of charge. You can find your nearest consumer advice center at verbraucherzentrale.de. Please note: The staff speak German and only some other languages.

To open an account, you will need a valid passport or passport substitute.

When will the Jobcenter cover my rental costs?

First get written confirmation from your Jobcenter that you are allowed to look for your own apartment. The Jobcenter can also tell you how high the rent may be and what other requirements the apartment must meet. The permitted amount of rent varies from city to city and depends on various factors, such as the type of heating and the size of the building. In addition, the apartment must be of a certain size and may not exceed a certain size. Many job centers also generally reject temporary rental offers and rental offers with graduated rents. It is therefore essential that you find out about the conditions that apply to you before starting your search.

As soon as you have been accepted by a landlord, ask them to make you a rental offer. This rental offer must contain all relevant information about the apartment for the Jobcenter as well as the landlord's telephone number. Many job centers also have forms that you can give to the landlord. With the rental offer completed by the landlord, you must go to your Jobcenter as soon as possible so that they can check the rental offer and assure you or your landlord that they will cover the costs. With the written confirmation that the costs will be covered, you go back to the landlord and can then sign the rental agreement there.

Please note: If you do not have enough money, the Jobcenter can also pay the deposit for your apartment. You will receive a so-called "loan" from the Jobcenter for this. This means that you have to pay back the money for the deposit to the Jobcenter in stages. It is best to ask your Jobcenter about this.

How expensive and big can my apartment be?

With the introduction of the Citizen's Allowance, the costs of accommodation are fully covered in the first year. You do not have to move to a smaller apartment in order to receive citizen's allowance. Heating costs are only recognized to a reasonable extent.

In addition to the rent, the Jobcenter will also cover the running and heating costs for your home.

Until December 31, 2023, it is possible to receive citizen's allowance for one month if you have high back payments for heating costs or high expenses for fuel.

Please note: Electricity costs are not part of the accommodation costs. These are included in the standard requirement.

How does the Jobcenter help me find a job?

Once your application has been approved, you will be assigned to an employee of the Jobcenter. This person is called an "employment mediator". You will then mainly be looked after by this person. The Jobcenter can support you in various ways:

• By covering the costs of German courses: If you have little or no knowledge of German and have not yet started an integration course or job-related German course, the Jobcenter can cover the costs for these. You can find out more about this in our chapters "Integration courses" and "German for work".
• With careers advice: You can discuss with your employment agency what kind of training you have and which job might suit you. If you would like to do a different job or do not yet know which job would suit you, you can discuss this here. Under certain conditions, you can also train for a different occupation. This is called retraining. It takes between 2-3 years, depending on the profession.
• With application support: The employment agencies will support you in applying for a job. For example, you can create your CV together or formulate a cover letter.
• With support in becoming self-employed: The employment agency will support you if you want to become self-employed. This can be in the form of advice or start-up money. The start-up allowance is financial support that you receive if you start work or set up your own business after becoming unemployed. You can find out more about this in our chapters "Starting a business as a tradesperson" and "Starting a business as a freelancer".

After you have discussed what support you need, a so-called "integration agreement" will be drawn up. This will be gradually converted into a so-called "cooperation plan" from July 2023. You can find out exactly what this is and what is involved in the section "What rights and obligations do I have at the Jobcenter?".

Can the Jobcenter help me with further training and qualifications?

If you want to do training or retraining, you will be supported. Since the introduction of the Citizen's Allowance, the following has applied: "Training is more important than a temporary job". Until now, the aim was to get you into employment as quickly as possible. Even if the job did not require any special qualifications. This was called "placement priority". This has now been abolished.

Therefore, since July 1, 2023, job centers can make additional offers so that you have a good qualification:

• If you want to, you can catch up on your vocational qualification. You can also do this in the regular length of time (e.g. three years) and receive funding for this.
• You can be supported while you acquire basic skills (e.g. reading skills, math skills or knowledge of IT technology).
• If you take part in further training that prepares you to obtain a vocational qualification, you can receive a monthly further training allowance of 150 euros.
• If you are willing to take part in programs that provide special support to help you get back into work in the long term, you can receive a citizen's allowance bonus of 75 euros per month.
• Since July 1, 2023, further training without a vocational qualification has also been funded. There is a further training bonus of 75 euros per month for this.
• There are also opportunities to receive even more intensive support. Coaching is a new offer from the Jobcenter: This can take place at your home. This allows you to continue with your training or your job.

The "Participation in the labor market" support is offered by the Jobcenter on a permanent basis. This is particularly good for people who have had difficulties finding a job on the labor market. Publicly funded programs are designed to make it easier for you to find employment subject to social insurance contributions.

Important: If you receive citizen's allowance, you are entitled to further training. These further training opportunities are additional and are not automatically included. You must meet certain requirements for the Jobcenter to pay for further vocational training for you. The Jobcenter will clarify these requirements with you in a consultation.

Apart from that, you are entitled to catch up on a vocational qualification, a secondary general school certificate or a similar school-leaving qualification.

Please note: Have you already started further training before July 1, 2023? Then you can also receive 150 euros per month from July 1, 2023 for the remaining time of your further training.

What languages do the Jobcenter employees speak?

Unfortunately, Jobcenter employees usually only speak German. Sometimes they also speak English or other languages, but unfortunately there is no guarantee of this. If you don't speak German very well yourself: It is best to bring someone with you who can interpret for you. If you don't know anyone privately, ask for help at advice centers or initiatives in your area. If you don't have any addresses, register on our multilingual community platform "Together in Germany". We will then try to find addresses in your area for you.

Some job centers also offer a free interpreter telephone service. Via this service, an interpreter will be on the phone during your interview at the job center and will translate for you. It is best to ask your job center directly about your options.

The Jobcenter can also cover the costs of German courses or further training for individuals seeking employment. This is to help them secure a job.

If a person meets the requirements for receiving Bürgergeld, their family members' income and assets also play a role in determining their eligibility. This concept is known as a "community of need."

Source: handbookgermany.de