Request: You must submit an application for benefits for your basic security. In principle, these benefits are not paid for periods prior to the application. Therefore, submit the application to the Jobcenter as soon as possible. You can submit your application informally, i.e. in writing, by telephone or in person. However, you must submit the necessary documents in any case.
Incapacity for work: In the event of incapacity for work, you retain the protection in the social security system and receive benefits equal to the unemployment benefit II (ALG II) paid so far. If you become incapacitated after applying for or during the receipt of basic insurance benefits, you are obliged to notify your incapacity for work immediately and to attach a medical certificate of incapacity for work and its expected duration. If the incapacity for work lasts longer than initially certified by the doctor, you must prove this by means of a further medical certificate. If you are able to work again, please let us know immediately.
Payout: Subsistence benefits are paid in advance for each month of need for assistance. Each full month is calculated with 30 calendar days. If the benefits are not available for a full month, 1/30 of the monthly benefit is paid for each day in the case of partial months and at the time of the loss of entitlement to benefits. The Jobcenter also ensures that you can have the payment amount on the first working day of the current month. However, the Jobcenter has no influence on possible delays such as late credit to your account or late delivery of the payment order for billing. When you can expect the first transfer also depends on when you submit the application documents. The application will be processed as soon as possible, but a certain amount of time is necessary. Therefore, submit your application and the associated documents as early as possible and in full. Only then can the processing of your application begin.
Community of needs: As a rule, the community of needs can be equated with the family.
It includes:
- the persons entitled to work,
- the household-living parent or the household-living parent of an unmarried working-age child who has not yet reached the age of 25 and the partner of that parent living in the household,
- as a partner of the beneficiaries entitled to work, the spouse who does not live permanently separately or the spouse who does not live permanently separately, the non-permanent separated partner or the non-permanent separated partner, a person who lives with the person entitled to work in a common household in such a way that, after a mutual assessment, the mutual will to take responsibility for each other and to stand up for one another must be assumed.
- unmarried children under 25 years of age belonging to the household
- persons mentioned under 1. – 3. Children under the 25-year-old sancise their parents’ needs if they can meet their needs with their own income or if they have a child themselves. In these cases, they form their own community of needs together with their child. If the parents are not able to work, they still form a community of needs with their children under the age of 25 if at least one child is able to work – i.e. at least 15 years old.
Integration agreement: An agreement between you and your personal contact person in the Job centre describes how your integration into work is achieved. This so-called integration agreement determines how you participate in this project. The statutory integration agreement is to be concluded for a period of six months, adapted if necessary and updated after the agreed period has elapsed.
Income: Unemployment benefit II and social benefit are paid only to those who cannot or cannot adequately secure his own livelihood and that of the relatives living with him in a community of needs. Therefore, the income and assets of all members of the community of needs are taken into account under certain conditions. For this reason, the application, as well as the income statement and the certificate of earnings, also ask for the income ratios of the other persons living in the household. You can find out who belongs to your community of needs under the entry for the term “community of needs”.
Income includes, for example, income from:
- non-self-employed or self-employed,
- Compensation benefits such as unemployment benefit or sickness benefit,
- Income from capital and interest, or
- Income from rental and leasing, maintenance benefits, child benefit, pensions and income from shareholdings.
Eligible: Those who are at least 15 years of age but not yet 65 years old and who can work at least three hours a day under the normal conditions of the general labour market and are not prevented from doing so for the foreseeable future because of illness or disability are eligible for work. They are still considered to be able to work, even if you cannot be expected to work temporarily – for example, because of the education of a child under three years of age or because you are still at school.
GEZ Fee exemption: The new broadcasting contribution is structured in solidarity, because those who receive certain state social benefits depending on their income can be exempted from the contribution on request: for example, those who receive unemployment benefit II, social assistance, basic security or BAföG can apply for exemption from the broadcasting fee with the proof of the relevant authority.
Needing help: You are in need of help if you cannot or cannot adequately secure your own maintenance needs, your integration into work and the maintenance needs of the persons living with you in a community of needs. It is assumed that you use your labour force, take up a reasonable job, use your own income and assets and the income and assets of the partner, and assert priority entitlements to social benefits and maintenance benefits.
Health and long-term care insurance: During the receipt of unemployment benefit II, you are generally compulsorily insured in statutory health insurance and social care insurance, if no insurance is possible under family insurance. The Jobcenter pays the flat-rate health and care insurance contributions at the statutory level. In principle, the Jobcenter registers you with the statutory health insurance fund, where you were insured with sickness and care before you were covered. Please note: In special cases, there may be deviations from the above-note versions.
Health insurance start: The Jobcenter will not insure you until the requested benefit has been approved. In principle, the insurance starts retroactively from the first day for which you receive benefits. You should pay particular attention to this if you can only submit your application late or if it takes longer to process your application. If you need to benefit from health insurance benefits during this period, you should enter into an agreement with your health insurance company on temporary insurance cover for yourself and your relatives. In the event of an illegal receipt of benefits, you must expect that you will have to reimburse your job centre for health and care insurance contributions in addition to the overpaid benefits.
Services: As basic security benefits for jobseekers, there are benefits in kind, services such as information, advice and support by a contact person in the job centre and cash benefits, which are intended to integrate the person in need of work into work and to secure his livelihood including those living in his community of needs.
Duration of performance: Unemployment benefit II is paid indefinitely if the eligibility conditions, such as the need for assistance, are permanent. However, in order to be able to verify this need for assistance, the benefits are only granted for six months at a time. If it is already apparent at the time of submission of the application for unemployment benefit II that the need for assistance is short-lived, the period of authorisation shall be shortened accordingly.
Abuse of performance: Abuse of services is detected, vigorously pursued and punished by modern methods of electronic data processing, including in cross-cutting cooperation with other authorities and job centres, in order to protect the taxpayers’ community.
Additional requirements: The term additional requirements stands for additional costs that are not covered by the so-called control service. These costs can be covered in the form of lump sums under certain conditions – for example, for expectant mothers from the 13th week of pregnancy, for single parents depending on age and number of children, for disabled people or for a special diet if a more costly diet is demonstrably necessary for medical reasons.
Obligation to report: During the period for which you are claiming basic jobseeker’s benefits, you are required to report to your job centre in person and, if necessary, to show up for a medical or psychological examination if asked to do so. Such an invitation may also serve to prepare decisions in the performance procedure and to examine the conditions for performance, i.e. the need for assistance. The Jobcentre may determine that the notification request for illness continues on the first day of working capacity. Then you are obliged to report in person on the first day of working capacity. Even during an opposition or legal proceedings, this reporting obligation applies to the period for which you have applied for or have applied for benefits. If you are prevented, please inform your job center immediately and also give the reason for not imposing sanctions.
Obligations to cooperate and notify: In order to be able to check and determine your entitlement to benefits, your participation is required. They must state all the facts that are relevant to the performance and are queried in the application form. If information from third parties is required, you must agree to the provision of information by these persons. If evidence such as documents or evidence is required, you must name or submit it yourself. In addition, you are obligated to notify immediately and unsolicited any changes that may occur later to the information you provide. This is the only way to pay the correct amount of benefits or to avoid overpayments. This also applies if changes occur which may have retroactive effects on the benefit, such as the retroactive granting of a pension.
You must notify immediately when you start a professional activity, including as a self-employed person or a family member. Don’t rely on any promises from others to show your employment. Only you are obliged to do so. Even if you are incapacitated as a person in need of work and if you are able to work again, you apply for or receive maternity benefits or similar benefits, you apply for or receive pensions of all kinds, in particular pension due to reduced earning capacity, or change your address – please inform you immediately.
You must also report if you marry, enter into a marriage-like community or (life) partnership, or separate from your partner, change your income or assets, or the income or assets of your spouse, partner or civil partner and relatives in the community of needs, and credit you or your spouse, partner or life partner with income from assets (e.g. interest, dividends) or tax refunds.
Please also note that in the event of a new accommodation contract, the appropriate job centre for the amount of the new accommodation must be obtained from the Jobcentre in advance.
Please notify changes immediately and pay attention to the completeness and correctness of your information. Observance of these obligations to cooperate is particularly in your interest. If you provide incomplete or incorrect information or do not notify changes or do not notify them immediately, you may not only have to refund services that have been wrongly received, but you may also be subject to an offence or criminal offence. The same obligations also apply to members of the community of needs or the legal representative. The obligation to notify members of the community of needs can also be carried out by the representative of the community of needs.
Absence: Benefit recipients receiving unemployment benefit II from the Jobcentre should definitely speak to their employment agent before travelling or absent, and have them approved.
The law obliges recipients of unemployment benefit II to coordinate this with the Jobcentre, whether and when they can take leave and take advantage of absences. Authorisation is only possible if it is unlikely that it is possible to place placement in work or to participate in continuing vocational training during this period. If the prior notification is not made, the services are wrongly received and will be reclaimed or payment will be discontinued if an invitation has not been accepted during this period. With the receipt of compensation for wages, the legislature has not only entaild rights but also obligations. This includes the need to approve absence from the place. For a total of three weeks a year, the Jobcentre can continue to pay unemployment benefit II. Those who are not available for another three weeks will not receive any more money for this period. In this case, a new application for unemployment benefit is not required after the trip. The period of three weeks with money and three weeks without can also be taken within a calendar year in several sections. Those who travel in a coherent way for more than six weeks in advance cannot receive any money for the entire period.
P account: P Account is the abbreviation for “Attachment Protection Account”. It is a normal current account, where by a special agreement of the customer with his bank there is a protection against seizure of account balances specified in the law.
Attachment: The subsistence benefits are generally impeachable and therefore cannot be transferred or pledged. If the benefit you are entitled is transferred to an account with your financial institution, the payment amount can only be pledged after seven calendar days after the credit or offset against a claim from your financial institution. Within this period, the financial institution must pay you the benefit.
Sanctions: In addition to the principle of promotion, the principle of demand is on an equal footing. You are therefore obliged to take concrete steps to address your need for help. In this way, you must strive to end your unemployment and actively participate in all measures that support this goal. Failure to meet these commitments for no good reason will result in far-reaching sanctions in the form of cuts or even the elimination of benefits. This also applies in the event of further breaches of duty, such as the termination of a reasonable integration measure or failureto nuptium-off in the event of a notification request.
Social security: Persons who are incapable of working benefits who live in a community of need with a person entitled to work or a person entitled to work receive social benefits if they are not entitled to benefits under the Twelfth Book of the Social Code (SGB XII). Persons entitled are also entitled to pensions on the grounds of partial or full disability on a temporary period. Members of a community of need who receive a permanent pension because of full disability or who have already completed the normal age limit are not entitled to social benefits. The services include the standard requirements, additional requirements and the need for accommodation and heating. The amount of the social benefit is identical to that of unemployment benefit II.
Moving: In the event of a move, the cost of housing, relocation costs and the rental deposit can be granted. To do this, you must obtain the job center’s assurance before concluding a lease. This is usually granted if the move is necessary and the cost of the new accommodation is reasonable.
Assets: Wealth is the totality of a person’s assets measurable in money, regardless of whether the assets are present at home or abroad. This includes cash, (savings) assets such as securities, building savings, shares and fund shares as well as receivables, movable property, house and real estate as well as other real-world rights in real estate. In principle, you must take into account your own usable assets and the assets of the relatives living with you in the community of needs.
Assets are usable if they are used for subsistence or if their monetary value can be used for subsistence through consumption, sale, lending, rental or leasing.
Assets that the holder is not free to dispose of are not exploitable – for example, because the asset is pledged.
Request for further authorisation: Benefits under SGB II are usually granted for 12 months. If the need for assistance persists beyond this period, an application for re-authorisation shall be required, which may be granted at the earliest from the date of application. This application for re-authorisation will be sent to you approximately 4 weeks before the end of the current authorisation period. If you have not received a letter of termination with a new application for further authorisation by post, please ensure that the application form for further authorisation is obtained independently. The application must be submitted or received in good time before the end of the last authorisation period at the relevant location.
In the event of a late submission of the application (after the end of the last grant period), you will not receive any benefits for the time being. Therefore, submit your further authorisation applications as early as possible!
Contradiction: If you do not agree with a decision of your Jobcenter, you can appeal within one month of the notification of the decision. The objection must be filed with the Jobcenter in writing or declared in person. It will result in a re-examine of the decision.
If your opposition cannot be remedied or cannot be remedied in full, you will receive a written notice of opposition against which you can bring an action. In which court, within what time limit and in what form the action is to be filed, you can find the notice of appeal issued by the notice of opposition. In the event of a lawsuit, your job centre must generally send the full performance documents to the social court. Medical and psychological reports in these performance documents are only excluded from the transmission if you have expressly objected to the transmission. Opposition and action have no suspensive effect.
Reasonableness: At the same time, if you receive basic jobseeker’s benefits, you are obliged to accept any work you are able to do. For example, exceptions provided for by law are where the pursuit of a job would jeopardise the education of a child under three years of age, is incompatible with the care of a relative, where care cannot be provided by any other means or if there is any other important reason. Remuneration below the tariff or below the local wage is not unreasonable, as long as the remuneration does not violate the law or good morals. In addition to these exceptions, your personal interests must be in contrast to the interests of the general public.