Applying for social compensation benefits as an injured party
If you have suffered damage to your health as a result of certain events, you can receive social compensation benefits in the form of cash benefits and benefits in kind. The damage to your health may be the result of an act of violence, war or a specific vaccination.
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Basic information
If you have suffered damage to your health as a result of a harmful event that occurred in Germany and for which the state community bears a special responsibility, and the event and its consequences have been recognized, you can receive financial support and compensation. Harmful events can be, for example, an act of violence (physical and psychological) or a vaccination. The compensation helps to compensate for any loss of income and to cover the costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation. Possible beneficiaries may be civilian service victims, war victims, vaccination victims or victims of violence.
Please note that your social compensation provider will decide whether and to what extent you will receive support.
Coordination takes place with the relevant competent authority, which will inform you which benefits you may be eligible for. These may include counseling and support services as well as benefits for medical treatment, participation, care dependency, psychotherapeutic services, pension benefits and pensions.
Requirements
- You have suffered a health impairment in Germany due to a damaging event and can prove the direct or substantial connection.
- The health impairment has resulted in physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments that continue to exist.
- You have your place of residence or habitual abode in Germany and
- you were temporarily abroad at the time of the offense and suffered a damaging event there, or
- You are temporarily resident abroad but have suffered a harmful event in Germany, or
- You have your permanent residence abroad but have suffered a damaging event in Germany.
- The application must be submitted to the competent institution at the place of residence.
- Exception: In the case of vaccination damage, responsibility depends on the place of vaccination.
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Procedure
Submit the completed application for social compensation for injured parties to the competent authority (social compensation agency). The authority will examine your application and decide on the granting of the benefit and its scope. You will receive a notification of the decision and, if applicable, information on the benefits granted as well as other necessary evidence.
You can apply for social compensation benefits in writing.
- If necessary, you can make an appointment with your contact person at the pension authority or at your responsible office.
- They will then discuss with you which documents are still missing and how the application procedure will continue.
- The contact person will provide you with further documents if necessary. If necessary, complete the documents, enclose the required evidence or supporting documents and send the documents back to your responsible office.
- Your claims will be determined ex officio on the basis of the documents and further investigations by the authority. The authority will inform you of the result in the form of a decision, which is usually sent to you by letter.
- If entitlements to benefits have been determined, you will receive an approval notice. If no entitlements are determined, you will receive a rejection notice.
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Necessary Documents
- Application under the new social compensation law
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Competent Department
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Amt für Versorgung und Integration Bremen
- +49 421 3615541
- +49 421 3615326
- Doventorscontrescarpe 172 D, 28195 Bremen
- Website
- office
@avib. bremen. de - Legally secure e-communication more
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Fees / Costs
gebührenfrei
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Deadlines & processing time
What deadlines must be paid attention to?
There is no deadline.
How long does it take to process
The prerequisite for processing is that all mandatory information has been provided. The processing time varies depending on the competent authority and the individual case. It is not possible to give an exact time and it depends on the complexity of the individual case.
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More Information
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. 07.11.2025