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". Examples include citizen's income, housing benefit, and 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 little money, you can get citizen's allowance 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.
For the citizen's income to be granted, 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 the document "Confirmation of Involuntary Unemployment" and submits it directly to the job center. This ensures you remain entitled to citizen's allowance. If you have worked for less than a year, the entitlement to citizen's allowance after job loss is only for six months. If you have worked for more than a year, the entitlement to citizen's allowance is unlimited. However, in this case, you must continue to be actively seeking employment. Here There is good information available in several languages about this.

There are 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 citizen's allowance as long as the child is in 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. 

Many people have heard of the job center. The job center pays the social benefit "citizen's money".
Some people also call it 'ALGII / Arbeitslosengeld II / Hartz IV / SGB II'.
Citizen's income is for unemployed people and also for people who work and don't have enough to pay for everything themselves. 

If you want citizen's income from the Leipzig Job Center, you must:

• being able to work at least 3 hours per day 
• living in Leipzig
• not be of retirement age 

You need to ask the job center for the money. This is called an "application for citizen's allowance" or "apply for citizen's allowance". You can do this by mail, online via Jobcenter-Digital, or in person at the job center.
You need an appointment to submit your application in person. You can schedule an appointment in person, by phone (0341 91310705), or online. here Book your appointment. If you don't speak much German and need an interpreter, please indicate this when booking your appointment; the job center will organize an interpreter for you.
A language mediator is an interpreter/translator who translates from German into other languages.
EU citizens are entitled to this. They don't have to pay anything for it, and they don't have to bring someone 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.

Postal address: 
Jobcenter Leipzig 
PO Box 100831 
04008 Leipzig 

E-mail: jobcenter-leipzig@jobcenter-ge.de 

The best way to do this is online at “Jobcenter digital" make.

To verify your eligibility, you must fill out various forms.
All applicants must complete the “Main motion" fill out.
There are other forms for this, depending on your personal situation.
If you have children, you must complete the form “AI" fill out.
If you have income, you must complete the form “EK" fill out.

In addition to the forms, the job center needs other documents.
For example: bank statements, pay slips, rental agreements.
Send these documents as copies, not the originals.
If the job center has other questions or needs documents, you will be contacted.

It is important that you check regularly to see if you have any new communication from the Jobcenter.
Try to clarify any outstanding questions and submit documents before the deadline.
The job center will give you a deadline. This is the date by which you should resolve the matter.
If you need more time, you can request more time. This is called an "extension."
When you apply for citizen's allowance, you'll receive a number called a needs-based community number or BG number. Always write this number down when sending something to the job center.

If you need help with the forms, ask the Jobcenter for an appointment.
This means “assisted initial application with interpreter”.
The best way to ask is by email and the language you speak.
E-mail: Jobcenter-Leipzig@jobcenter-ge.de

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 say something about other benefits besides the Citizens' Allowance 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 29€ instead of 49€.
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.