Apply for Income Support (Welfare)
If your income or assets are not sufficient to cover your basic living expenses, you may be eligible for living expenses assistance (welfare) under certain conditions.
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Basic information
You can generally receive living expenses as a social assistance benefit if you are in need of assistance and:
- do not receive either basic income support for job seekers
- nor basic income support for the elderly or those with reduced earning capacity.
Children under the age of 15 are eligible for social assistance if they:
- live with people who receive financial assistance for living expenses (usually with their parents) and
- are unable to support themselves despite having a right to child support.
Income support benefits include:
- a flat-rate standard allowance to cover living expenses, such as food, clothing, or personal hygiene. A separate standard allowance is set for each family member.
- Educational and participation benefits for children and adolescents, for example for:
- field trips,
- personal school supplies,
- student transit passes,
- supplementary learning support,
- school lunches, or
- club dues, music lessons, and similar expenses.
- Expenses for housing and heating.
- In exceptional cases, assumption of debt to:
- prevent homelessness,
- secure your housing, or
- to resolve a comparable emergency, such as debts owed to an energy provider.
- Contributions toward your health and long-term care insurance, and, under certain conditions, toward your retirement savings.
In addition to your standard benefit rate, you may receive benefits to cover additional living expenses. You can apply for these additional benefits if you:
- meet the requirements for a severe disability certificate with the “G” designation and are deemed unable to work under pension law,
- are an expectant mother from the 13th week of pregnancy onward,
- are a single parent,
- are at least 15 years old, have a disability, and receive assistance for appropriate schooling or vocational training as part of integration support,
- require a special diet due to a medical condition that results in higher costs than a “normal” diet,
- generate hot water locally (e.g., via a water heater) rather than through a central heating system, or
- are a student and, due to applicable school regulations or requirements, incur expenses for the purchase or rental of textbooks or equivalent workbooks.
If you do not live alone, the social services office will take your entire family’s income into account when determining your need for assistance. This includes the income of all family members living together in the same household, such as:
- Earned income,
- maintenance payments, and
- pension income.
Child benefit paid for minors, as well as any child support payments, are attributed to that child to cover their needs.
Certain assets are considered exempt assets that are not taken into account, for example:
- small amounts of cash (liquid assets per adult: 10,000 EUR) or
- a reasonably sized residential property.
No benefits can be granted for days prior to the application.
Requirements
- You are in need of assistance and:
- have a temporary total disability, or
- receive an old-age pension but have not yet reached the age requirement for the standard old-age pension.
- You are considered in need of assistance if you cannot fully cover your living expenses with your own resources and efforts.
You are temporarily fully incapacitated for work if, for the foreseeable future (more than 6 months), you are unable to work regularly for at least 3 hours a day under the usual conditions of the general labor market.
- You are not eligible for:
- Basic Income Support for Job Seekers,
- Basic Income Support for the Elderly and Those with Reduced Earning Capacity, or
- basic benefits for asylum seekers.
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Procedure
- The application may be submitted in writing, by phone, or in person, without any specific formal requirements. The required application documents must then be submitted in full and in a timely manner.
- To apply for SGB XII benefits, the social service centers of the Office of Social Services provide an application form. This form is available at the social service centers and is usually filled out by the case worker together with the applicant.
More information
- Appeal:
- Objection.
- Effective January 1, 2024, the following standard needs levels will apply:
Standard Needs Level 1
An adult living in a residence who does not qualify for Standard Needs Level 2: 563 eurosStandard Needs Level 2
Adult living in a residence with a spouse or domestic partner, or in a relationship analogous to marriage or domestic partnership: 506 eurosStandard Needs Level 3
Adult living in a residential facility: 451 eurosStandard Needs Level 4
Adolescents from the beginning of their 15th year until the end of their 18th year: 471 eurosStandard Needs Level 5
Children from the beginning of their 7th year until they turn 14: 390 eurosStandard Needs Level 6
Children up to the age of 6: 357 eurosAdditional needs may be approved if necessary; these must be applied for and justified on a case-by-case basis. Furthermore, reasonable costs for housing and heating are covered as needed.
No benefits can be granted for days prior to the date the application was filed.
Please note: You are required to immediately report any changes in your income and financial circumstances to your local social services office.
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Necessary Documents
- A valid ID card or passport; proof of residence, if applicable
- Proof of temporary total disability in the form of a pension decision or medical certificates
- Proof of Income
- for example, regarding retirement benefits, sick pay, child support, alimony, or advance alimony payments
- Proof of assets, such as savings balances
- Lease agreement and subsequent amendments, particularly with regard to the rent amount
- Proof of expenses—in addition to the rent amount and rent payments, particularly advance payments and statements for utilities and heating costs—as well as documentation of insurance premiums
- Proof of health and long-term care insurance, i.e., information regarding the health insurance provider and insurance status, or a contract for private health and long-term care insurance
- Note:
- The scope of the required documentation—particularly regarding proof of income and assets—depends on the individual case.
- Your local social services office will request additional documents from you, such as recent bank statements, divorce decrees, or alimony orders.
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Fees / Costs
gebührenfrei
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Deadlines & processing time
What deadlines must be paid attention to?
You must meet the deadlines set by the social services office for submitting documents. If, for valid reasons, you are unable to do so, you must request an extension. Otherwise, the social services office may deny you benefits due to your failure to comply with your legal obligation to cooperate.
This also applies to the deadlines for filing an appeal—that is, if you disagree with the decision, not only in the case of a denial but also in the case of an approval decision (regarding the amount of benefits to which you are entitled).
Living expenses assistance is provided starting from the date the social services office is notified of your eligibility for benefits.How long does it take to process
It depends on the specific case.
A complete application is required for immediate processing.
This page has been automatically translated by DeepL. We cannot guarantee that the translation is correct.
The official information in German is complete and correct.
Updated on 10.08.2026