(2021) How can I take out voluntary unemployment insurance?

For self-employed individuals working at least 15 hours per week, there is a favourable option for voluntary unemployment insurance - officially known as "insurance on request". For a small contribution, anyone who has been employed and subject to compulsory insurance for at least twelve months in the last two years can insure themselves against unemployment when starting their own business or becoming self-employed. Receiving a wage replacement benefit, such as unemployment benefit, is also accepted as a prerequisite, regardless of the duration.

However, founders must decide quickly on voluntary continued insurance, as it is only possible within three months of starting self-employment.

The monthly contribution to voluntary unemployment insurance is based on the full reference value of social insurance. The reference value in 2021 is 3.290 Euro/month (2020: 3.185 Euro/month). The reference value (East) is 3.115 Euro/month (2020: 3.010 Euro/month). This results in contributions from 2021 of 78.96 Euro (West) or 74.76 Euro (East). There is a special regulation for founders (§ 345b, § 434w SGB III). Accordingly, they generally pay only half the contribution until the end of the first calendar year after starting self-employment.

If the business idea fails and the founder loses their income or gives up their business, they receive benefits from unemployment insurance.

The amount of unemployment benefit is usually based on the gross salary earned before unemployment. In the case of voluntary insurance, the previous employment income subject to insurance as an employee is also used if you were employed and subject to insurance for at least 150 days in the two years before applying for unemployment benefit. However, if no 150 days with contribution periods can be proven in the two years before unemployment, unemployment benefit I is based on a fictitious income. The amount of this fictitious income is determined on a flat-rate basis according to professional qualifications. The qualification required for a job to which the employment agency's placement efforts are primarily directed is decisive.

In 2017, compulsory insurance in unemployment insurance was introduced for all carers - not just for relatives (§ 26 Abs. 2b SGB III):

• Persons who leave employment to care for relatives in need of care with care level 2 to 5 are subject to compulsory insurance.
• The prerequisite is that the carer provides care for at least ten hours per week, spread over at least two days a week.
• Another prerequisite is that the carer was subject to compulsory employment promotion insurance (as an employee) or was entitled to a current wage replacement benefit for employment promotion (unemployment benefit) immediately before starting the care activity.
• The contributions are paid solely by the care funds for the entire duration of the care activity.

For persons subject to insurance as carers, an income of 50 percent of the monthly reference value is considered as income subject to contributions; the reference value for the accession area is decisive if the place of work is in the accession area. The reference value in pension and unemployment insurance is 3.290 Euro per month in the old federal states and 3.115 Euro in the new federal states. The contribution rate in unemployment insurance is 2.4 percent in 2021 (§ 345 Nr. 8 SGB III since 01.01.2017).

Since 01.08.2016, parents who take parental leave according to § 15 BEEG after the child's third year can also voluntarily insure themselves in unemployment insurance (§ 28a Abs. 1 Nr. 4 SGB III).