Unemployment > Social Welfare Benefit

Social Welfare Benefit

Definition, Explanation

People's basic security of existence, in Germany, is embodied by unemployment benefit 2, the social money, and the social welfare benefit. The social welfare benefit serves the purpose of enabling the receivers to live a life in accordance with human dignity (§ 1 Satz 1 SGB XII). Thus, social welfare benefit covers the socio-cultural minimum needs when income and assets do not suffice. It is a government support for people in need.

While unemployment benefit 2 is given to persons who are capable of gainful employment, social welfare benefit is given to persons who are not capable of gainful employment due to any working-inability or due to their age. They are distinct from receivers of social money in that they are not living in a household-unit-in-need together with a Hartz-IV-receiver. As soon as a receiver of social welfare benefit moves in with a receiver of unemployment benefit 2, they are considered one household-unit. In this case, the social welfare benefit receiver becomes a social money receiver. When they separate and live in different households again, he goes back to social welfare money. Legal basis of social welfare benefit is the Zwölftes Buch des Sozialgesetzbuches (SGB XII).

Receivers:

• Persons temporary incapable of gainful employment
• Early retired with low pension level
• Long-term sick persons, including alcoholics / addicts, who are difficult or impossible to place on the job market
• Disabled children of non-disabled parents

Further requirements for entitlement:

• Performance ability is restricted by the state of health to less than 3 hours a day, for a temporary period
• Performance ability is restricted by the state of health to less than 3 hours a day, the age of 19 has not been reached, and the person does not live in a household-unit in need like e.g. disabled children in a welfare institution

Social welfare benefit is only granted if the person is in need and has an impaired capability of gainful employment and also there is no entitlement to unemployment benefit or Hartz IV benefits like unemployment benefit 2 (subsidiarity principle of social welfare benefit).

Financing and institutions paying social welfare benefit:

Counties, independent cities, cities of special status, or authority organs or responsible carriers for disabled people living in special homes.

Benefits paid:

• Monthly complementary money for living
• Basic security money in old age (from age 65) and in case of impaired employment capability in the age from 18 to 65
• Benefits for health care
• Integrative measurements for disabled people
• Benefits for nursing
• Benefits supporting overcoming of special social difficulties
• Benefits supporting overcoming of social difficulties, especially for homeless: Blind people's support, elderly-support, funeral expenses etc.
• Advice and assistance

Calculation of the standard amount of social welfare benefit:

• The standard amount, since Juli 1 2009, is 359 € for singles and lone parents / lone custody takers. Partners and children receive lower amounts. These standard amounts correspond to unemployment benefit 2. They include costs of nourishment, garment, telephone. In individual cases granted additionally:
  • monthly refund of accomodation and heating costs, as far as appropriate
  • one-time refund of first furniture costs, garment and class trips lasting for several days
• The amount actually paid to the receiver depends on his income and assets. Income includes pensions, health benefit, child benefits
• The standard amounts depend on the Federal state, the county and the city

Tips, Checklist

• As a receiver of social welfare benefit, you are not obligatorily insured in statutory health insurance
• File a written, informal application for social welfare benefit
• Important is that the carrier of the social welfare benefit gets to know about the potential need for social welfare benefit. This can be achieved with a telephone call, even by a third party
• The social welfare office, when having been informed about a potential need for social welfare benefit, is obliged to investigate it
• Ask your responsible social welfare office what the local regular benefit amount is

Last update: 12/27/2009