You are here:

claim unemployment benefits

  • Sozialleistungen
  • Arbeit 



    	    

		    
Procedure

            			
You can apply for unemployment benefits online or in person.  

Apply for unemployment benefits online: 


  • To apply online, go to the online portal "eServices" of the Federal Employment Agency and click on the tile "Arbeitslosengeld beantragen" (apply for unemployment benefits).
  • Note that even in this case, you must register for unemployment in order to receive unemployment benefits.
  • The Employment Agency will check your entitlement to unemployment benefits.
  • If your application documents or other reasons do not yet allow a final decision, the Employment Agency can grant you an advance payment upon application, provided that a claim to benefits exists on the merits.
  • You will receive a written decision by mail about the approval of the benefits, in which the amount and duration of your entitlement to unemployment benefits are noted. You can also receive the notice online by selecting the appropriate notification option in your online profile.
  • Unemployment benefits will be paid monthly in arrears, free of charge, to the account you specify. This means that the benefit for the current month will be paid at the end of the month. In case of financial difficulties, this principle can be deviated from upon request. Ask your agency about this.
  • In exceptional cases, you can have your unemployment benefit paid by check. You can submit the "payment order for clearing" sent to you by mail to your financial institution for credit within one month or have the amount paid out to yourself (or to a person authorized by you) in cash at any Deutsche Post or Deutsche Postbank disbursement office. However, this will incur additional costs.

Apply for unemployment benefits in person: 


  • To apply in person, contact your local employment agency. You will usually receive the application form and, if necessary, other documents (so-called "supplementary sheets") when you register for unemployment in person.
  • The Employment Agency will check your entitlement to unemployment benefits.
  • If your application documents or other reasons do not yet allow a final decision, the Employment Agency can grant you an advance payment upon application, provided that a claim to benefits exists on the merits.
  • You will receive a written decision by mail about the approval of the benefits, in which the amount and duration of your entitlement to unemployment benefits are noted. You can also receive the notice online by selecting the appropriate notification option in your online profile.
  • Unemployment benefits will be paid monthly in arrears, free of charge, to the account you specify. This means that the benefit for the current month will be paid at the end of the month. In case of financial difficulties, this principle can be deviated from upon request. Ask your agency about this.
  • In exceptional cases, you can have your unemployment benefit paid by check. You can submit the "payment order for clearing" sent to you by mail to your financial institution for credit within one month or have the amount paid out to yourself (or to a person authorized by you) in cash at any Deutsche Post or Deutsche Postbank disbursement office. However, this will incur additional costs.
			
Legal bases
			
More information
Please also note the information on personal unemployment registration. This is an essential prerequisite for receiving unemployment benefits.