Apply for assistance with living expenses (social assistance)
Service description
As a rule, you receive assistance for living as a social welfare benefit if you are in need of assistance and:
- neither basic benefits for jobseekers,
- still receive basic benefits for old age and reduced earning capacity.
Children under 15 receive social assistance if they:
- live together with persons receiving assistance for living (usually with parents) and
- are unable to secure their livelihood despite claims for maintenance.
The subsistence assistance benefits include:
- the lump-sum standard rate to ensure subsistence, for example for food, clothing or personal hygiene. A separate standard rate is set for each family member.
- Education and participation benefits for children and young people, for example for:
- Class trips,
- personal school supplies,
- Student tickets,
- supplemental learning support,
- Lunch in schools or
- Club fees, music lessons and the like.
- Requirements for accommodation and heating.
- In exceptional cases, assumption of debt to:
- Avoiding homelessness,
- Securing your accommodation or
- to remedy a comparable hardship, for example, debts to the energy supplier.
- Needs for contributions to your health and long-term care insurance and, under certain conditions, for your retirement provision.
In addition to your standard rate, you can receive benefits for additional living needs. You can apply for these additional needs if you:
- meet the requirements for a severely disabled person's ID card with the mark "G" and are not able to work according to pension law,
- expectant mother are from the 13th week of pregnancy,
- are single parents,
- have reached the age of 15, are disabled and receive assistance for appropriate schooling or training within the framework of integration assistance,
- are dependent on a special diet due to a medical condition that results in higher costs than a "normal" diet,
- produce the hot water decentrally (e.g. boiler) rather than through a central heating system, or
- You are a student and have expenses for the purchase or loan of textbooks or equivalent workbooks due to the respective school law regulations or school requirements.
If you do not live alone, the social welfare office will include the entire family income to determine your need for assistance. For this purpose, the income of all family members living together in one apartment is taken into account, for example:
- Earned income,
- Maintenance payments and
- Pension income.
Child benefit paid for minors and any child support payments for a child are attributed to that child to cover the child's needs.
Certain assets are considered exempt assets, for example:
- smaller cash amounts (financial assets per adult: EUR 10,000) or
- an appropriate house plot.
Except in a few exceptional cases, you will not receive benefits for past periods.
What documents are needed?
- valid identity card or passport, if necessary confirmation of registration
- Proof of a temporary full reduction in earning capacity in the form of pension notice or medical certificates
- Proof of income, e.g. pension, sickness benefit, child benefit, alimony or advance alimony payments
- Proof of assets, for example savings
- Rental agreement and subsequent amendments, in particular with regard to the rental amount
- Evidence of expenses, in addition to the amount of rent and rent payment, especially for advance payments and statements for ancillary costs and heating costs, documents on insurance premiums
- Proof of health and long-term care insurance, i.e. information on health insurance fund and insurance status or contract for private health and long-term care insurance
Note: The scope of the documents required, especially for proof of income and assets, depends on the individual case. Your local social welfare office will request further documents from you, such as current bank statements, divorce decrees or maintenance titles.
Legal basis
Applications / Forms
Forms: you can get from your social welfare office
Written form required: No
Informal application possible: Yes
Personal appearance required: No
Online services available: No