Unemployment > Hartz IV > Social Telephone Tariff

Social Telephone Tariff, or Reduced Telephone Charges

Definition, Explanation

Besides exemption from broadcasting- and television fees, one can also get exempt from part of one’s telephone costs, on application with Deutsche Telekom. They provide, as a service of their own initiative, the so-called social tariff for the following groups of persons:

• Persons who are already exempt from their obligation to pay broadcasting fees, that is
  • recipients of social welfare benefit
  • recipients of Hartz-IV benefits, that is of unemployment benefit II or social money
  • recipients of basic security in old age and reduction in earning capacity
  • Asylum seekers
  • recipients of BAföG
  • recipients of nursing care additional benefits
  • persons living as in-care patients
  • Disabled rated RF
  • Blind persons rated BL
  • Deaf rated GL
  • persons entitled to special care support
  • persons receiving benefits for nursing care, or nursing-care-money as such, or nursing care additional benefits
  • persons being partially exempt from tax obligation for need of nursing care reasons
• Blind, deaf and speech impeded whose degree of disablement (GdB) is 90 or higher

The social tariff goes for the following connection types:

• City-Verbindung
• Deutschland-Verbindung
• Auslandsverbindung (abroad connection) from T-Home or Telekom
• NOT for:
  • Calls to other providers
  • Connections to service line numbers
  • Connections to mobile phone numbers

Amount reduced:

• Reduction by maximum 6.94 Euros for persons who are already exempt from obligation to pay broadcasting fees
• Reduction by maximum 8.72 Euros for persons who are deaf, blind, or speech impeded and have a GdB of 90 or higher
• Reduced amount is subtracted from the connection costs, outside the turnover tax

Tips, Checklist

• Your application file for the social telephone tariff should contain copies of: any existing current valid GEZ certification on your exemption from broadcasting fees, any existing BAföG certificate of yours along with your current valid matriculation certificate of your university, and any current valid disabled person’s pass you have
• Apply for the social telephone fees tariff directly with the Deutsche Telekom
• If you have questions, turn to your ARGE case manager or responsible officer, or to social administration, or to the Deutsch Telekom’s T-Punkt stores
• The social tariff is only granted to persons whose phone line is registered at the Deutsche Telekom
• Even if you are having a fairly low income, ask the Deutsche Telekom whether you would still be granted the social tariff. You might get it with an income certificate and a document certifying your amount of rent exclusive of heating
• Disabled of a disablement degree (GdB) of 80 get a reduced tariff with some mobile phone providers. Ask the companies

Last update: 03/23/2010