Social welfare benefits

If you don't have enough money to live on, you can get money from the government.
Such money is a "social benefit". For example, basic income support, housing benefit, child benefit.
There are different authorities that provide the money, such as the job center, the social welfare office, and the family benefits office. Here There is information available about family benefits. This is money for people who have children.

You have to submit an application to receive the money. The application is submitted to the relevant authority. For example, if you want housing benefit, you apply to the social welfare office. There is usually an application form to fill out. Along with the application form, the authority requires supporting documents such as the rental agreement, payslips, and bank statements. The application is then reviewed.

There are many rules for foreigners regarding whether or not they can receive such money.
On this page we explain the potential entitlement for EU citizens.
There are different rules for people who are not EU citizens.
You can also visit an advice center if you have questions about social benefits.
Such advice centers are located under Further tips and help to find.

Here you can see some German authorities and what they are responsible for. Often you will have dealings with several authorities. You might receive child benefit from the family benefits office, child support advance payments from the youth welfare office, and housing benefit from the social welfare office. It is important to pay attention to the deadlines for each benefit and when you need to submit a new application.

Here you will find a detailed overview in German of the authorities and what they are responsible for.

This question is complex and every person has their own situation.
If you or your family members work, you can receive social benefits.
You don't have to have a full-time job.
A mini-job is also sufficient if you work several hours per week.
Even if you are self-employed and have a low income, you can still receive social benefits.
If you earn very little money, you can receive basic income support from the job center.
If you earn a little more money but not much, you can get housing benefit from the social welfare office.

If you lose your job, you may still be able to receive social benefits.
To qualify for basic income support, unemployment must be involuntary.
For example, because you had a fixed-term contract or the company closed down. It can also be involuntary due to illness. This involuntary unemployment is confirmed by the employment agency. You submit your employment contract and termination notice to the employment agency. The employment agency issues a document called "Confirmation of Involuntary Unemployment" and submits it directly to the job center. This ensures you continue to be entitled to basic income support. If you have worked for less than a year, your entitlement to basic income support after job loss is limited to six months. If you have worked for more than a year, your entitlement to basic income support is unlimited. However, in this case, you must continue to actively seek employment. Here There is good information available in several languages about this.

There are also other regulations for EU citizens regarding entitlement to social benefits without employment. If you have a child in school (not daycare/kindergarten) in Germany and have worked in Germany at some point, you can receive basic income support as long as your child attends school.
Or if you have lived in Germany for 5 years and can prove it. Normally, you use your first registration in Germany to prove these 5 years.
The regulations concerning social benefits for EU citizens are very complex, and there are frequent changes to laws or court rulings. If you are unsure whether you are eligible, seek advice from a counselling center. 

Basic income support from the Leipzig Job Center

What is that?

The job center pays basic income support.
It was formerly also called: Citizen's Income, Unemployment Benefit II, ALG II, Hartz IV or SGB II.

Basic income support is for people,

• who are unemployed.
• who work, but don't have enough money to pay for everything themselves.

Who is eligible to receive basic income support?

You can receive basic income support from the Leipzig Job Center if you:

• be able to work at least 3 hours per day.
• live in Leipzig.
• are not yet of retirement age.

How do you apply for basic income support?

You must apply for the money at the job center. This means submitting an application for basic income support.

You have 3 options:

1. On-line: above Jobcenter digital. That's the best way.
2. By post: Jobcenter Leipzig, P.O. Box 100831, 04008 Leipzig
3. In person at the job center: You will need an appointment for that.

Apply for the money early

The money will only be available from the month in which you submit the application.
This applies to the entire month. You will therefore also receive the money for the days prior to your application within that month.
You generally do not receive any money for previous months.

Therefore, apply for the money as early as possible.

You don't have all the documents yet? That's no problem.
Even a short application without all the documents is a start.
You can submit the missing documents later. The job center will tell you what else is needed.

Book an appointment

You can book an appointment as follows:

• on site at the job center
• By phone: 0341 91310705
• on-line

You don't speak German well?

Please mention this when booking your appointment. Also, please specify your language.
The job center will then arrange for a language interpreter for you.

A language mediator is a person who translates. They translate between German and your language. They are also called an interpreter.

• You don't have to pay anything for it.
• You do not need to bring someone with you to translate for you.

The rules are in this document The Federal Employment Agency. The Federal Employment Agency is responsible for all job centers and all employment agencies in Germany.

Forms and documents

The job center will check whether you are eligible for basic income support. You will need forms for this.

• Everyone fills the Main motion out of.
• If you have children under 15 -> Form „AI“
• They live with other people over 15 years old -> WEP form
• You have income -> Form „"EK"“
• For your rent costs – > KDU form

The job center also needs other documents. For example:

• Bank statements
• Wage statement
• Rental agreement

Send copies. Do not send the originals.

Questions from the job center and deadlines

The job center may have further questions. Perhaps some documents are missing. If so, the job center will contact you.

• Check your mailbox and the Jobcenter's online portal regularly.
• The job center will give you an address deadline. This is the date by which you must reply.
• Respond before the deadline. Send the documents before the deadline.
• Do you need more time? Then ask the job center for more time. That means: Extension of deadline.

Your BG number

When you apply for basic income support, you will receive a number. It is called Household number or BG number.
Always write this number on your mail to the job center.

Do you need help with the forms?

If you don't speak much German and need an interpreter, please indicate this when booking your appointment. The job center will arrange an interpreter for you. EU citizens are entitled to this service. You don't have to pay anything for it, and you don't need to bring anyone with you to the job center to translate everything.

This regulation is in this document declared by the Federal Employment Agency.

The Federal Employment Agency regulates all job centers and employment agencies in Germany.

Once the job center has reviewed everything, a decision will be made. The job center will inform you of this in a letter called a "notice."
This notice is very important. You should keep it.
If you receive money, you will receive a “notice of approval.”
It looks like this:

If you don’t get money, you’ll receive a “rejection notice.” 

If you receive such letters, you should examine them carefully.
If the job center gives you money:
For how long?
How much?
Did they calculate everything correctly? Will I get enough money for my rent? 

If the job center does not give you money:
Why not?
Did I forget to send something or did the job center not calculate correctly?

If something is incorrect, you have one month to correct it.
You file an objection and send it to the job center.
An objection is a letter in which you state what was incorrect in the decision.
Your situation will then be reviewed again and you will receive a new notice.
This is called “notice of objection”.
Once a month has passed, you can no longer object.
However, you can have the notice reviewed.
To do this, you make a “review request”.
If you still think the decision is incorrect, you can go to court.
The court for such social benefits is called the Social Court.
You should seek advice before doing this. 

The job center pays money on the last working day of a month for the next month.
For example: The Jobcenter transfers the money on Thursday, November 30, 2023, for the month of December 2023.
If you don’t have any money, you can get money directly from the job center.
This means “advance payment”.
You will receive an advance payment if you have submitted the necessary documents but processing still requires time.
You must also show that you do not have any money in your bank account.
You will receive the money as a voucher.
You take the voucher to a supermarket and get the money paid out.

The job center gives money for various things:
Standard needs: This is money for food, clothing, electricity, and so on
Rent (including water and heating costs)
Health insurance: the job center pays this directly to the health insurance company.
Children in school or training: Job centers pay for various things. This is explained here.
There is more money for certain people, for example pregnant women or single parents.

Jobcenter also pays money for one-off things:
If you move into an apartment and have no furniture, you will receive money for furniture from the Jobcenter.
If you have a baby, Jobcenter pays money for baby clothes and things like a baby bed.
If you have a back payment for operating costs for your apartment, the Jobcenter can also pay this.
There are people who normally have enough money and do not need help from the job center.
But you cannot pay if you receive a large additional payment for operating costs.
If you submit the bill to the job center in the same month, the job center can still pay it. 

The Job Center pays the money monthly in advance. This means the money is transferred on the last working day of the month for the following month.
For example: You get the money for April at the end of March.
Sometimes it takes a few days for the money to be in your account.
If you urgently need money, you can apply for an advance.
This means you get some money (100€ or so) now from the money for next month.
If you need an advance, you must go to the job center and explain your situation.
You must have proof that you don't have any money. It's best to show the current balance of your bank account. 

If you receive money from the Jobcenter, you do not have to pay for certain things, for example:  

• Broadcasting fee 
• health insurance 
• Pay parental fees for daycare/after-school care 
• Integration course (German course) 

The notice is generally valid for 6 or 12 months. This is the "approval period."
At the end of this period, you must submit a new application if you continue to need help from the Jobcenter.
You do not need to submit a completely new application. You only need to fill out the form WBA (application for continued approval) fill out.
Make sure you submit the new application before the approval period expires.
Otherwise, you won't get any money and will have to pay for things like health insurance yourself. 

There are many other social benefits for specific situations. For example, when someone retires or has a disability.
For the first time, we can only briefly mention other benefits besides basic income support from the job center.

The Leipzig Pass is for people in Leipzig who don't have much money.
It's a card with your photo on it.
With the Leipzig Pass you can Germany Ticket get it cheaper.
It costs €43 instead of €63.
Other things are also cheaper, for example going to a museum or swimming pool.

You can get the Leipzig Pass at a citizens’ office in Leipzig.
You can make an appointment here book.
You must bring various documents with you.
It is important to provide proof that you do not have that much money.
You bring a notice from the job center/social welfare office or your pay slips.
Here everything is explained simply.

People with the Leipzig Pass who have children can also receive education and participation benefits.
For example, you don’t have to pay for school meals or for a school trip.
Read how to do this at School.