Who is entitled to unemployment benefit I?

Unemployment benefits are payable in the event of unemployment, and they are also paid for the duration of continuing vocational training funded by the Federal Employment Agency.

Anyone who finds out about impending unemployment or has a fixed-term employment contract is obliged to report personally unemployed at least three months before the date of employment. If you find out about your dismissal later, you will have to visit a job agency within three days. If you register too late, there is a risk of a vesting period for benefits. Unemployment benefit is paid at the earliest from the date of application. Unemployment registration is considered an application for unemployment benefit.

Another important prerequisite is the prescribed entitlements. This requires that you have been subject to compulsory insurance for at least twelve months (360 calendar days) in the past two years. Here, periods of voluntary continued insurance can also be included in the unemployment insurance. However, an ABM measure does not lead to employment in unemployment insurance that is subject to compulsory insurance.

Who is entitled to unemployment benefit I?

How much is the unemployment benefit?

The amount of unemployment benefit depends on the salary of the last twelve months before unemployment. If the unemployed person did not work for at least 150 days (assessment period) in the past year, the so-called assessment period is extended to two years. If there are no 150 days of insurable activities during this period, a fictitious salary is used as the basis for calculation.

Otherwise, the average daily earnings for the previous year are calculated. For this purpose, the total gross amount is divided by the number of days in the assessment period. So if someone has worked the whole of the past year, the sum of his twelve-monthly salaries is divided by 365. This results in the daily assessment fee.

For further calculation, the wage tax, solidarity surcharge and social security contributions are deducted from the daily gross salary on a pro-rata basis. If the unemployed person has at least one child, he or she is entitled to 67% of the calculated amount, otherwise 60%. Multiplying this daily entitlement to ALG I by 30 days results in the monthly unemployment benefit.

Important: One-off payments such as Christmas bonuses, vacation bonuses or bonuses are also included in the calculation.

Tip: Those who only receive a small amount of unemployment benefit may be entitled to additional basic benefits, e. g. unemployment benefit II, which must also be applied for through the Employment Agency.

For more information, please refer to our unemployment benefit II (ALG II) calculator. There you can also calculate your expected entitlement.

How much is the unemployment benefit?

How long is the unemployment benefit paid?

The duration of the unemployment benefit depends on the period during which the unemployed person worked in a relationship subject to compulsory insurance. This period shall be measured within a period of three years, but not more than one year before the receipt of unemployment benefit.

Here is an overview of the entitlement period:

For unemployed persons after the age of 50, an extended period of payment applies. In the case of 30 months of activity subject to compulsory insurance, they are entitled to 15 months. From 36 months of work, they can receive unemployment benefit for 18 months after they have reached the age of 55. From 58 years of age and 48 months of contribution payment, you are entitled to 24 months unemployment benefit.

After the end of the entitlement, it is possible to receive unemployment benefit II, also known as Hartz IV.

Here you will find further information about the ALG II and our Hartz IV calculator, with which you can calculate your possible entitlement to unemployment benefit II.

How long is the unemployment benefit paid?

What are the deadlines for applying for unemployment benefits?

Anyone who finds out about impending unemployment or has a fixed-term employment contract is obliged to report personally unemployed at least three months before the date of employment. If you find out about your unemployment later, you have to visit a job agency within three days.

What are the deadlines for applying for unemployment benefits?

What documents do I need to register for unemployment?

If you register too late, there is a risk of a vesting period for benefits. Unemployment benefit is paid at the earliest from the date of application. Unemployment registration is considered an application for unemployment benefit.

To ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible, it is best to bring all the necessary documents with you on your first visit to the Federal Employment Agency.

These include

• The identity card or passport with a current registration certificate.
• The letter of dismissal.
• The shop papers and the income tax card.

If you have already received unemployment benefit before: proof of this. The contribution statement for unemployment insurance, e. g. via the wage statement. As soon as your employment relationship is terminated: the certificate of employment from the employer.

In order to calculate your entitlement to unemployment benefit, you will receive a claim form, which should be returned to you carefully and completely filled in, if possible in person.

All documents that are not yet available for the unemployment registration - e. g. the income tax card - can be submitted at a later date. The necessary forms, e. g. for the employment certificate and the application for unemployment benefit, can be obtained from the Unemployment Registration Office.

What documents do I need to register for unemployment?

Who pays the social security contributions during unemployment?

Anyone receiving unemployment benefit is compulsorily insured in the statutory health and nursing care insurance. The contributions are paid in full by the Employment Agency. The insurance is taken out with the health insurance company, which was also responsible until unemployment occurred.

Contributions to private health insurance are paid by the employment agency only up to the amount of the lump-sum contributions of the statutory health and nursing care insurance.

Those who were employed in the last year before unemployment and were subject to compulsory pension insurance are also compulsorily insured as recipients of unemployment benefit. Here too, the employment agency pays the contributions.

The Employment Agency reports to the pension insurance institution not only the times of receipt of benefits, but also the time when you are unemployed but do not receive any benefits. This time can also be recognised as a qualifying period for the pension insurance under certain conditions.

You can find out how much unemployment benefit you are likely to receive with our unemployment benefit calculator.

Who pays the social security contributions during unemployment?