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Apply for the basic income support benefit — formerly Bürgergeld

Basic income support for jobseekers · the Jobcenter (job centre) is responsible

OnlineBy postAt the Jobcenter

Since 1 July 2026, the statutory name for Bürgergeld (citizen's benefit) has been Grundsicherungsgeld (basic income support benefit for jobseekers). § 19 (1) sentence 1 SGB II now reads word for word: “Persons entitled to benefits who are fit for work receive Grundsicherungsgeld.” The benefit was therefore not abolished, but renamed – and tightened in substance.

The Jobcenter is responsible, not the employment agency (Agentur für Arbeit). This is the most common mix-up of all: the employment agency pays unemployment benefit I (Arbeitslosengeld I) under Book Three of the Social Code (SGB III), an insurance-based benefit with no asset test. Grundsicherungsgeld under Book Two of the Social Code (SGB II), by contrast, is a means-tested welfare benefit, for which assets and a partner's income are assessed. Both offices belong to the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), but have separate areas of responsibility.

The standard rate for single persons remains €563 per month in 2026. Important for anyone still reading older guides: the former grace period with a flat-rate asset exemption of €40,000 has been abolished. In its place, under § 12 SGB II, there are now allowances graduated by age ranging from €5,000 to €20,000 per person.

Last updated27 August 2026
Legal basis§ 19 SGB II · § 12 · § 7
VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de and the Federal Employment Agency
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information page: we are not the employment agency (Agentur für Arbeit), not an authority and not a paid advisory service — we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in simple terms; the competent body is always the authoritative source. The local Jobcenter is responsible, not the employment agency. All information is provided without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document administrative procedures and check the information against the official source — this is information, not legal or tax advice.
Standard rate for single persons€563Monthly, unchanged in 2026
Competent bodyJobcenterNot the employment agency
Allowance per person€5,000–20,000Graduated by age
Since1 July 2026Previously called Bürgergeld
Required documents

What you need

Identity documents for everyone in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft (community of need)

Identity card (Personalausweis) or passport for every person in the household, and for foreign nationals, also the residence title. What is assessed is not the individual person but the entire Bedarfsgemeinschaft – its income and assets are included in the calculation.

Bank statements for the last three months

Complete, without gaps, and from all accounts of all persons in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft. Missing pages are the most common reason for queries and delays. You should explain any larger incoming payments yourself, without being asked.

Proof of assets

Savings accounts, securities accounts, building society contracts, life insurance policies, vehicles and property. Since the reform, the allowances are graduated by age: €5,000 up to 30 years, €10,000 from 31, €12,500 from 41 and €20,000 from 51 years – per person in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft.

Tenancy agreement and service charge statement

For housing costs. Since the reform, the housing costs covered are capped; the upper limit is one and a half times the locally appropriate amount, with exceptions for families with children. Submit the tenancy agreement, the current statement of service charges and proof of heating costs.

Proof of income

Payslips, official notices (Bescheide) for unemployment benefit I, maintenance, Kindergeld (child benefit), pensions. The income of all persons in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft is taken into account – unlike unemployment benefit I, where a partner's income plays no role.

Notice that unemployment benefit is running out

If you are coming from ALG I: the notice shows when the entitlement ends. Submit the application for Grundsicherungsgeld before that date, so that no gap arises – the application takes effect retroactively to the first of the month in which it is submitted.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Clarify responsibility: Jobcenter, not the agency

    You apply for Grundsicherungsgeld at the local Jobcenter. The employment agency is responsible for unemployment benefit I under the SGB III. Both belong to the Federal Employment Agency, but have separate areas of responsibility – an application submitted to the wrong office will be forwarded, but this costs time.

  2. 2

    Roughly check your entitlement

    Persons fit for work and entitled to benefits between the ages of 15 and the standard retirement age, who cannot cover their living costs from their own income and assets and have their habitual residence in Germany, are entitled. People in work with a low income can also be entitled to a top-up – this case is often overlooked.

  3. 3

    Submit the application in time

    The application takes effect retroactively to the first of the month in which it is submitted – but no further back. Anyone who applies on 2 March receives payments from 1 March; anyone who waits until 1 April loses the whole of March. Submit the application within the current month, even if documents are missing: they can be submitted later.

  4. 4

    Submit complete documents

    Bank statements for the last three months from all accounts of all persons in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft, tenancy agreement, statement of service charges, and proof of income and assets. Incomplete bank statements are the most common cause of delays.

  5. 5

    Request an advance payment if things get tight

    If processing is dragging on and the entitlement in principle is foreseeable, you can apply for an advance payment. In an acute emergency, a provisional decision may also be considered. Ask about this explicitly – it is rarely offered on its own.

  6. 6

    Check the decision and note the deadline

    Check the standard rate, the recognised housing costs, the income taken into account and the assets counted. You can lodge an objection (Widerspruch) free of charge against errors within one month of notification; proceedings before the Sozialgericht (social court) are also free of court costs.

Fee information

Costs and payment

The application and the objection are free of chargeThe benefit is means-tested
Application, advice, objectionFree of charge
Standard rate for single persons€563/month
Allowance up to 30 years€5,000
Allowance from 31 / from 41 years€10,000 / €12,500
Allowance from 51 years€20,000
Former grace period (€40,000)No longer applies

The application, advice and objection cost nothing; proceedings before the Sozialgericht are also free of court costs. Two points have changed since the reform of 1 July 2026, and both are still stated incorrectly in many overviews. First, the grace period has been abolished, during which a flat-rate €40,000 in assets was protected for the first person. In its place, under § 12 SGB II, there are now allowances graduated by age: €5,000 up to 30 years, €10,000 from 31, €12,500 from 41 and €20,000 from 51 years – each per person in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft. Second, housing costs are capped: at most one and a half times the locally appropriate amount is covered, with exceptions for families with children. The standard rate for single persons, by contrast, remained unchanged at €563 per month.

Good to know

Important notes

The name has changed, the benefit has not been abolished. Since 1 July 2026, the statutory designation is Grundsicherungsgeld. The renaming alone does not require a new application; current notices and ongoing measures remain in force.

The Jobcenter, not the employment agency. The agency pays unemployment benefit I under the SGB III, the Jobcenter pays Grundsicherungsgeld under the SGB II. Both belong to the Federal Employment Agency, but have separate areas of responsibility.

The €40,000 grace period no longer exists. Anyone relying on older guides is counting on an asset protection that has not existed since the reform. What now applies are the age-graduated allowances under § 12 SGB II.

The application only takes effect retroactively to the first of the month. Not further back. Anyone who misses the turn of the month loses a full month – it is better to submit the application incomplete than too late; documents can be submitted later.

The placement priority is back. Since the reform, it is first checked whether immediate placement in work is possible; further training takes a back seat to this. This noticeably changes advisory practice.

Sanctions have been tightened. For a first breach of obligations, a 30 percent reduction for three months; two missed appointments lead to 30 percent for one month, and three consecutive missed appointments risk the benefit being withdrawn completely. Take invitations seriously and report in advance if you cannot attend.

Possible even with a job. Anyone who works but earns too little can be entitled to a top-up. This also applies to self-employed persons with low profits. Having this checked costs nothing.

Parents from the child's 14th month. Since the reform, parents can be required to be available to the labour market once the child is 14 months old and childcare is secured.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Submitting the application to the wrong office. You apply for Grundsicherungsgeld at the Jobcenter, not at the employment agency. The application will be forwarded, but this costs time, which becomes expensive towards the end of the month.

Waiting for the turn of the month. The application only takes effect retroactively to the first of the current month. Anyone who hesitates until the 30th and applies on the 2nd of the following month loses an entire month.

Counting on €40,000 of protected assets. The grace period has been abolished. What applies are the age-graduated allowances of €5,000 to €20,000 per person – anyone planning with the old figure will be caught out by the notice.

Submitting incomplete bank statements. Three complete months from all accounts of all persons in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft are required. Missing pages are the most common cause of delays.

Missing Jobcenter appointments. Sanctions have become harsher since the reform: three consecutive missed appointments risk the benefit being withdrawn completely. Cancel appointments in advance if you cannot attend.

Not even applying despite working. Top-up benefits are also available for people in work and for self-employed persons with low income. The assessment costs nothing, while not applying can cost a great deal.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Is Bürgergeld now called something else?

Yes. Since 1 July 2026, the statutory designation has been Grundsicherungsgeld. § 19 (1) sentence 1 SGB II states word for word: “Persons entitled to benefits who are fit for work receive Grundsicherungsgeld.” The benefit was not abolished, but renamed and tightened in substance. The renaming alone does not require a new application; current notices remain in force.

Should I go to the employment agency or the Jobcenter?

For Grundsicherungsgeld, the Jobcenter. The employment agency pays unemployment benefit I under the SGB III – an insurance-based benefit for which neither assets nor a partner's income are assessed. Grundsicherungsgeld under the SGB II, by contrast, is means-tested. Both belong to the Federal Employment Agency, but have separate areas of responsibility.

How high is the standard rate in 2026?

For single persons it is €563 per month and remains unchanged from the previous year. Separate standard needs rates apply to other persons in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft. In addition there are housing and heating costs, which, however, have been capped since the reform.

How much in assets may I keep?

The former grace period with a flat-rate protection of €40,000 has been abolished. Under § 12 SGB II, allowances graduated by age now apply per person in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft instead: €5,000 up to 30 years, €10,000 from 31 years, €12,500 from 41 years and €20,000 from 51 years. Information in older guides about the €40,000 protected assets is outdated.

From when is payment made if I apply today?

The application takes effect retroactively to the first of the month in which it is submitted – but no further back. Anyone who applies on 20 March receives benefits from 1 March; anyone who waits until 2 April loses the whole of March. Submit the application incomplete rather than too late: documents can be submitted later.

What has changed apart from the name?

Several things. The placement priority applies again: it is first checked whether immediate placement in work is possible. The asset allowances have been reduced and graduated by age, and the grace period has been abolished. Housing costs are covered at most up to one and a half times the appropriate amount, with exceptions for families with children. And sanctions have been tightened.

Can I receive Grundsicherungsgeld even though I work?

Yes. Anyone who is in work but whose income does not cover the needs of the Bedarfsgemeinschaft can be entitled to a top-up. This also applies to self-employed persons with low profits. Part of the earned income remains exempt from being taken into account, so that work pays off. The assessment is free – apply if in doubt.

What is the difference from unemployment benefit I?

Unemployment benefit I is an insurance-based benefit under the SGB III: you have earned it through contributions, it amounts to 60 or 67 percent of your previous net pay, and neither assets nor a partner's income are assessed. Grundsicherungsgeld under the SGB II is a means-tested welfare benefit at the level of the standard rate, for which the income and assets of the entire Bedarfsgemeinschaft are taken into account. Anyone whose ALG I is ending should submit the follow-on application in good time beforehand.

Related official procedures

Unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld I)
Insurance-based benefit from the agency
60–67% of net pay
Kinderzuschlag (child supplement)
Possible instead of Grundsicherungsgeld
Up to €297 per child
Jobcenter
Competent body
All benefits

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