Is every citizen entitled to receive the citizens' allowance?

Only those who are of working age and cannot support themselves with their own income, and for whom other priority benefits (unemployment benefit, housing benefit, child supplement, etc.) are not sufficient, receive the new benefit. The job centres can provide advice on this. Non-working individuals living in the same household as those entitled to the new benefit also receive it.

Anyone who previously received unemployment benefit II or social benefit will now be entitled to the new benefit.

Is every citizen entitled to receive the citizens' allowance?

What is a joint household?

The legal term "household receiving benefits" is important when applying for citizens' benefit. Although it includes the word "community", the following applies: The applicant alone is already considered a household receiving benefits.

If they live with other people and everyone takes on mutual responsibility for each other, they form a household receiving benefits together. The legal term is therefore usually applied to...

spouses who are not permanently separated,
registered same-sex partners who are not permanently separated, or
persons in a community of responsibility and support ("marriage-like community").

The household receiving benefits also includes children who live in the household and are under 25 years old. The condition is that they are unmarried, able to work, and cannot support themselves from their own income. Children's income includes, for example, child benefit or maintenance payments.

Conversely, if an unmarried child who is able to work and is at least 15 but under 25 years old applies for benefits under SGB II, the parents or parent living in the household are also part of the household receiving benefits.

What is a joint household?

What is the citizens' benefit?

The Basic Law guarantees (according to Article 1 paragraph 1 in conjunction with Article 20 paragraph 1) a fundamental right to the guarantee of a minimum standard of living compatible with human dignity. Article 1 paragraph 1 of the Basic Law establishes this claim, while the social state principle of Article 20 paragraph 1 of the Basic Law assigns the legislator the task of actually securing a minimum standard of living compatible with human dignity.

The citizens' allowance is therefore a benefit of the welfare state to ensure a minimum standard of living compatible with human dignity. It secures the existence of those who cannot cover their living expenses from their own income. This may be because someone loses their job or has to close their business. Or it may be due to other circumstances that make regular employment impossible, such as long-term or chronic illness. The Corona pandemic has shown how quickly people can find themselves in need through no fault of their own.

The citizens' allowance secures the economic minimum standard of living and enables participation in the cultural and social life of our society. This principle is non-negotiable and, as confirmed by the Federal Constitutional Court, stems directly from the first article of the Basic Law: Human dignity is inviolable.

What is the citizens' benefit?

What is the amount of the basic need (Regelbedarf)?

In order to guarantee a living standard, the basic needs have been increased as of 1 January 2023.

Basic needs

Children and adolescents with basic needs level 3 to 6 receive, in addition to their basic support, an emergency supplement for children in the amount of 20 Euro per month until the introduction of a basic child allowance.

What is the amount of the basic need (Regelbedarf)?

Are there additional requirements, for example, in the case of a disability or for single parents?

The already existing additional benefits remain for

• Single parents,
• People with disabilities who receive benefits for participation in working life,
• People who require costly nutrition for medical reasons,
• Pregnant women from the 13th week of pregnancy and
• Households with decentralized hot water production.

The additional benefits are granted as a flat-rate amount in addition to the standard rate. It is not necessary to prove that it was used for the intended purpose.

There is an entitlement to additional benefits for decentralised hot water production because hot water must be produced in the household itself, for example, with an instant water heater, and these are therefore not included in the operating costs of the rent. Each person in the community of need receives the additional benefit, whereby the amount is based on the relevant standard needs levels of the persons.

In one-time special situations, the following benefits may also be provided separately:

• Initial equipment for housing, including household appliances,
• Initial equipment for clothing and initial equipment for pregnancy and childbirth and
• Acquisition, rental or repair of therapeutic equipment.

Are there additional requirements, for example, in the case of a disability or for single parents?

How is income calculated in the citizen's benefit programme?

When an application is submitted, the applicant's individual needs are first determined. This is primarily made up of the respective basic needs, the costs of accommodation and any additional needs. Any existing income and assets are compared to these needs. Before this, however, the respective allowances are deducted:

At first, a flat-rate deduction of 100 Euro is made from monthly income earned from gainful employment. Of the income in excess of this, 20 percent is then deducted for the part between 100 and 520 Euro, 20 percent for the part between 520 and 1.000 Euro (from 1 July 2023 then 30 percent) and another 10 percent for the part between 1.000 and 1.200 Euro is not counted as part of the benefits. For people who have at least one underage child, the last exemption level even applies up to an income of 1.500 Euro.

There are also allowances for assets. During the waiting period, i.e. the first year of benefit receipt, 40.000 Euro are not taken into account for the first person in the community of need. For each additional person, 15.000 Euro remain untouched. After the waiting period, the limit of 15.000 Euro applies to each member of the community of need.

How is income calculated in the citizen's benefit programme?

What income allowances apply?

From 1 July 2023, the following shall apply:

Those who work more may also keep more of it: In the case of employment with an income between 520 and 1.000 Euro, 30 percent (instead of 20 percent so far) of it may be kept.
Young people are allowed to keep income from pupil and student jobs and income from vocational training up to the mini-job limit (currently 520 Euro). Income from pupil jobs during the holidays is not taken into account at all.
Those performing federal voluntary service (Bundesfreiwilligendienst) and FSJ also benefit from the increased allowances, as well as young people in the transitional period between school and vocational training.
Voluntary commitment is more strongly appreciated. Expense allowances are considered annually, as in tax law. This means that expense allowances are not taken into account as income as long as they do not exceed the annual allowance of 3.000 Euro.

What income allowances apply?

What benefits do you receive for children?

With the citizens' benefit (Bürgergeld), the basic needs of children will also be increased.
Basic needs of underage persons

Beneficiaries Standard rate Standard needs level
Adolescents from 14 to 17 years 420 Euro (+ 44 Euro) Basic needs level 4
Children from 6 to 13 years 348 Euro (+ 37 Euro) Basic needs level 5
Children from 0 to 5 years 318 Euro (+ 33 Euro) Basic needs level 6

In addition to the basic needs 3 to 6, an immediate supplement of 20 Euro is paid for each child until the introduction of a basic child allowance.

With the citizen's benefit, children and young adults up to the age of 25 continue to receive the following supplementary benefits from the education and participation package in addition to the basic benefit, if the requirements are met.

• one-day trips from school or daycare
• school or day-care centre trips covering several days
• provision with personal school supplies (in two batches: 1 February and 1 August of each year)
• transportation of pupils to and from school
• appropriate learning support (tutoring)
• communal lunch at school, day care centre or after-school care centre
• 15-euro flat-rate allowance for actual participation in social and cultural life in the community (only up to the age of 18)

The introduction of the basic child benefit (Kindergrundsicherung) is a central issue in the coalition agreement and is intended to bundle a multitude of existing social benefits into one simple support benefit. The aim is to reach more families in need of support. The introduction of the basic child allowance is planned for 1 January 2025. It is being managed by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.

What benefits do you receive for children?