Cost-of-living assistance (Hilfe zum Lebensunterhalt)

How much money do you get as Cost-of-living assistance?

When you apply for Cost-of-living assistance, the first thing the social welfare office will do is determine how much money you need. This is also known as "determining your needs". Next, your income is deducted from this amount.

The following calculation often applies to the amount of Cost-of-living assistance:
Needs minus income to be taken into account = amount of benefit.

Needs can vary greatly. Depending on whether you live alone, with other people in a shared household or in an inpatient facility.

The total requirement for calculating Cost-of-living assistance is made up as follows:

• Regular requirement - a monthly, flat-rate amount of money for everyday expenses such as food, clothing or the purchase of household appliances.
  • For single and single-parent beneficiaries 563 euros (standard needs level 1)
  • For two partners in the benefit community who have reached the age of 18. age: 506 euros each (standard needs level 2)
  • for other employable members of a benefit community, provided they have reached the age of 18 or for adult beneficiaries under the age of 25 who move without the Jobcenter's assurance: 451 euros (standard needs level 3)
  • for young people aged 15 to under 18: 471 euros (standard needs level 4)
  • for children from the age of 7 to the age of 14: 390 euros (standard needs level 3)
  • for children from the age of 7 to the age of 14 age: 390 euros (standard needs level 5)
  • for children up to the age of 6: 357 euros (standard needs level 6)

The provision of personal school supplies in the 2024 calendar year amounts to 65 euros for the second half of the 2023/2024 school year and 130 euros for the first half of the 2024/2025 school year.

• Needs for rent and heating
• Contributions for health and long-term care insurance

In addition, there may be so-called additional needs and one-time benefits (One-Time Needs) as well as benefits for education and participation.

Is it also possible to receive a loan?

Yes, if you cannot pay for a certain need from your monthly standard rate. Then, under certain conditions, you have the option of receiving a loan from the social welfare office. You then pay this back in small installments, which are deducted from the monthly benefits paid.

Even if you only need help for a short time, Cost-of-living assistance can be given as a loan. When your Cost-of-living assistance ends, you must repay it.

What are additional needs?

In addition to the standard needs, there are so-called additional needs. Additional needs can be applied for in special life situations and increase the total monthly requirement. This is the case, for example, if you are expecting a child, are a single parent or if you have a physical disability.

What are One-Time Needs?

The one-off benefits (One-Time Needs) are intended, for example, for the initial furnishing of an apartment or the equipment of a child after birth. These benefits must be applied for separately (online application for One-Time Needs).

What are the benefits for education and participation?

Children and young people whose parents receive Cost-of-living assistance can also receive benefits for education and participation. This includes money for school supplies (e.g. writing materials, exercise books, etc.), tutoring, school lunches, trips to school and reimbursement of costs for excursions and school trips. You must submit the application for Education and participation - if you receive cost-of-living assistance separately

An important term in connection with Cost-of-living assistance is the community. These are people who have a personal relationship with each other and live together. They help each other and support each other financially in order to make a living together.

Who belongs to the community of one's own?

If you apply for Cost-of-living assistance, the income and assets of your wife or husband will also be taken into account. This also applies to registered civil partnerships and cohabiting partnerships if the partners live together. If a minor and unmarried child applies for Cost-of-living assistance, the parents' income and assets are also taken into account. In this case, they are part of the joint household.

Can children under the age of 15 receive Cost-of-living assistance?

Children under the age of 15 are not eligible for income support. This means that they cannot earn their own living. If, for example, children do not live with their parents or their parents are also unable to work, they may be entitled to Cost-of-living assistance. This includes, for example, children who live with their grandparents or with a foster family. However, there are other social benefits that take priority here, namely child and youth welfare benefits under the eighth German Social Code (SGB VIII).

If there are

children and young people whose parents receive Cost-of-living assistance, they can also receive benefits for education and participation. This includes money for school supplies (e.g. writing materials, exercise books, etc.), tutoring, school lunches, trips to school and reimbursement of costs for excursions and school trips. You must submit the application for Education and participation - if you receive cost-of-living assistance separately

Will the costs for your rented apartment be covered?

Yes. In addition to the flat-rate monthly standard needs allowance, the social welfare office also pays the rent, ancillary costs and heating costs. Electricity must be paid from the money from the standard needs allowance.

The cost of the rent must match the size of the apartment and the number of people living in it. Your home must be appropriate, it must not be too large or too expensive. If the social welfare office finds the cost of your rented apartment too high and therefore not appropriate, you do not have to move to a cheaper apartment immediately. You have 6 months to do so. Only then will the payments be reduced.

When is an apartment considered "appropriate"?

This overview shows guidelines on which apartment sizes are generally considered appropriate:

• 45-50 m2 for one person
• 60 m2 or 2 rooms for 2 people
• 75 m2 or 3 rooms for 3 people
• 85-90 m2 or 4 rooms for 4 people
• a house of your own (owner-occupied) up to 130 m2
• a condominium (owner-occupied) 120 m2

Whether an apartment is still considered appropriate is examined and decided by the social welfare office. For example, how much the apartment actually costs must be taken into account. The rules for this can differ from region to region.

Is the initial furnishing of your home also supported?

Yes, this is possible in certain cases, for example:

• if you move out of your parents' home and set up your own household
• if you were homeless and move back into a flat
• if you no longer have your own household after a long stay in prison (at least 6 months) and move back into a flat

If the move or move-in is approved by the relevant social welfare office. move in has been approved by the relevant social welfare office, you can apply for what is known as aid for initial furnishing of the apartment. You will then receive a financial grant or vouchers for the most necessary household equipment. For example, for furniture, household appliances, pots and pans and other items. There is no uniform nationwide regulation on the amount of the allowance for initial furnishing of the home, so it can vary from region to region.

What if you have rent debts?

If you are at risk of losing your home due to rent debts, the social welfare office can also take over rent debts under certain conditions (so-called other assistance to secure accommodation according to § 36 SGB XII). The debt is usually taken over as a loan.

In addition, electricity debts can also be taken over if the electricity meter is about to be blocked or has already been blocked. Electricity debts are always taken over as a loan. A certain amount is withheld from the monthly benefit entitlement for repayment and is not paid out (Section 37 SGB XII).

Special case: You live in a "special form of accommodation"

The special form of accommodation is aimed at adults with disabilities who cannot live alone in an apartment with outpatient support due to their disability.

If several people with disabilities live with round-the-clock care in a residential home or group home in a facility, this is called a "special form of housing". The men and women have their own room, but live in residential groups with a shared kitchen and common rooms.

These people are entitled to Cost-of-living assistance.

Are statutory health insurance contributions covered?

Yes. If you are unable to pay health insurance and long-term care insurance contributions from your own income, the social welfare office may be able to take the costs into account as a need. This includes:

• the contributions to statutory health insurance and social long-term care insurance as well as
• the so-called "additional contribution" that each health insurance fund sets for itself

Note: If the monthly money from the social welfare office is higher than the health insurance contribution, the social welfare office must pay the contribution directly to the health insurance fund. If the health insurance contribution is higher than the assistance granted, you must transfer the contribution to the health insurance fund yourself.

What if you have private health insurance?

If you have private health insurance, the contributions for this are also taken into account as a need if they are reasonable. Contributions for private health insurance in the basic tariff or a comparable tariff are considered reasonable. Contributions for private long-term care insurance are also covered if they are reasonable. This is the case if the scope of the benefit roughly corresponds to the benefits of statutory long-term care insurance.

In the case of private health and long-term care insurance, the contributions recognized as needs are also transferred directly from the social welfare office to the insurance company if the benefit entitlement is sufficient for this.

What happens to your existing pension provision?

In order to prevent you from needing help when you retire, the social welfare office may also be able to take over the pension contributions you have voluntarily paid to date. This is particularly important if you, as the recipient of Cost-of-living assistance, cannot access your assets as contractual provisions do not allow this until you reach retirement age.

For example, contributions can be taken into account as a requirement for:

• statutory pension insurance
• agricultural pension funds
• professional pension schemes, provided these are comparable to statutory pension insurance
• funded pension provision in the form of a lifelong pension after the age of 60 (so-called "Rürup"). (so-called "Rüruprente")
• tax-subsidized old-age provision (so-called "Riesterrente")

However, each social welfare office decides on a case-by-case basis whether contributions to old-age provision will be covered. There is therefore no guarantee that the contributions will be covered.

Contributions for an existing death benefit insurance can also be covered under certain circumstances if it is appropriate. The amount of the death benefit must be able to cover the reasonable local costs of a funeral and the insurance must have been taken out before the start of social assistance. In addition, the monthly contributions must also be reasonable.

You may be entitled to Cost-of-living assistance if your income and assets are not sufficient to cover your living costs. This means that your existing money must be used before you can receive Cost-of-living assistance. The social welfare office will therefore check your income and assets. They will also clarify whether, for example, your partner, parents or other members of the single household (family in your household) can support you (see also the "Cost-of-living assistance and family" section) or whether you could be entitled to other benefits.

How much money you actually receive in the form of Cost-of-living assistance depends on the amount of your income and the established need (see also the section "Amount and composition of Cost-of-living assistance").

What income counts as income?

Income includes all regular and irregular income, for example:

• Income from self-employed or non-self-employed work, renting or leasing
• maintenance payments or advance maintenance payments
• pensions and income from a supplementary pension plan
• parental allowance
• Child benefit (for adult children)
• benefits under the Maintenance Advance Act
• sickness benefit
• one-off income such as gifts, severance payments, reimbursement of incidental expenses or gambling winnings

If you have assets that you can access immediately, these must first be used to cover your living expenses. Only then are you entitled to Cost-of-living assistance. Assets include everything that is already available before you receive assistance. For example, cash, bank balances, shares, building society savings contracts, life insurance policies or real estate. Valuables that you receive while receiving benefits (e.g. through inheritance) can also count as assets. However, some assets are protected.

Do you have to use up all your assets before you are entitled to Cost-of-living assistance?

No. There are so-called conservation assets that do not have to be used and may be kept in most cases. These include cash amounts of a maximum of 5,000 euros, furniture, household items and items that are not considered luxury goods (such as musical instruments). This also includes an owner-occupied property and an owner-occupied condominium, provided these are appropriate (see also the section "Cost-of-living assistance and housing").

If you receive Cost-of-living assistance, you also have certain obligations, the so-called duties to cooperate. It is important that you fulfill these obligations and adhere to the applicable deadlines.

Recipients of Cost-of-living assistance

• must provide all information that is important in connection with the benefit (for example income and assets)
• agree that the social welfare office may also obtain necessary information about you from other parties (for example relatives or banks)
• immediately report any changes in your personal circumstances, if these are important for the calculation of the benefit
• provide appropriate evidence (e.g. certificates of evidence) or agree to their submission

When you apply for Cost-of-living assistance, all information must be correct and complete. If there are any changes afterwards, you are obliged to inform your responsible social welfare office as soon as possible (obligation to notify). Typical reasons for a notification obligation are, for example, a move, changes to the members of your household, changes to your financial situation and personal changes (e.g. marriage, separation, pregnancy, birth).

Submitting required documents is also a duty to cooperate. The social welfare office will usually set you a deadline by which the documents must be submitted. If you are unable to meet this deadline, inform the social welfare office in good time and ask for an extension of the deadline. It is also best to explain why you cannot meet the deadline. If you have not been given a deadline, please submit the required documents as soon as possible. If you have any questions, the relevant social welfare office can also help you.

The duty to cooperate applies to all persons in a joint household. You should therefore involve these people when applying for Cost-of-living assistance so that you can provide correct and complete information.

What happens if you do not meet these obligations?

If you fail to meet your obligations to cooperate, the social welfare office may stop paying the benefit or reclaim benefits you have wrongly received. You can lodge an appeal against the decision of the social welfare office within one month. The case will then be reviewed again.

If you provide false information, for example about existing income or assets, this can also lead to misdemeanor or criminal proceedings. The social welfare office regularly checks the income and assets of people who receive social benefits.