Apply for the basic income support benefit — formerly Bürgergeld

Jobcenter · Basic income support for jobseekers (SGB II)

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Since 1 July 2026, the statutory name for Bürgergeld (citizen's benefit) has been Grundsicherungsgeld (basic income support benefit for jobseekers). § 19 Abs. 1 Satz 1 SGB II (Book Two of the Social Code) now reads: "Persons entitled to benefits who are fit for work receive Grundsicherungsgeld." The benefit has therefore not been abolished but renamed and substantively tightened by the Act to Restructure Basic Income Support for Jobseekers (Gesetz zur Umgestaltung der Grundsicherung für Arbeitsuchende). The Bundestag passed the Act on 5 March 2026 and the Bundesrat approved it on 27 March 2026; the provisions have been coming into force in stages since 1 July 2026. Your local Jobcenter (job centre) remains responsible, and the application procedure remains essentially unchanged.

For you as the applicant, this means: forms, official notices (Bescheide) and the online portals of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA) now carry the new name, while in everyday life and in search engines people still mostly talk about "Bürgergeld". An approval notice already in effect remains valid – it does not become invalid due to the renaming and does not have to be newly applied for. Three changes have an immediate effect on your application: the age-tiered asset allowances, the new cap on the costs of accommodation during the grace period, and the earlier start of the childcare obligation for parents.

Standard needs rate 1 remains unchanged in 2026 at €563 a month – the second zero increase in a row. On top of this come the costs for accommodation and heating and, where applicable, additional needs allowances. The application itself is, under § 64 Abs. 1 SGB X, free of charge and, under § 37 Abs. 2 Satz 2 SGB II, takes effect retroactively to the first day of the month in which you submit it.

Last updated31 August 2026

State of the lawReform of the SGB II, in force since 1 July 2026

Legal basis§ 19 SGB II · § 12 · § 22 · § 37 · § 41 SGB II

VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de

Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta

Independent information site: We are not the Jobcenter, not an authority and not a paid advice service — we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in simple terms; the competent authority always has the final say. Not legal advice. The standard needs rates apply uniformly nationwide; the reasonableness limits for accommodation and heating are set by each local authority itself, so they vary from place to place. All information 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.

What changed on 1 July 2026

The Act to Restructure Basic Income Support for Jobseekers is the biggest intervention in the SGB II since Bürgergeld was introduced in January 2023. It was passed by the Bundestag on 5 March 2026, approved by the Bundesrat on 27 March 2026 and has been coming into force in stages since 1 July 2026; the most recent amendment was made by Article 1a of the Act of 16 April 2026 (BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 107). If you read guides, forum posts or older calculators from 2023 to 2025, they refer in key respects to superseded law – particularly on protected assets and on rent during the grace period.

New name: Grundsicherungsgeld instead of Bürgergeld. § 19 SGB II is now officially headed "Grundsicherungsgeld und Leistungen für Bildung und Teilhabe" (basic income support benefit and education and participation benefits); §§ 7b Abs. 4, 12 Abs. 1, 24 Abs. 2, 31a and 32 SGB II also use the term consistently. Entitlement, calculation and responsibility remain unaffected: anyone who previously received Bürgergeld continues to receive the same benefit under the new name and does not need to do anything.

Protected assets: the grace-period allowance has been abolished. The amount of €40,000 for the first person and €15,000 for each further person no longer exists. In its place comes the age-tiered allowance under § 12 Abs. 2 SGB II of €5,000 to €20,000 per person in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft (community of need) – for a single person under 30, that is an eighth of the previously named amount.

Rent during the grace period: the 1.5-times cap. Under § 22 Abs. 1 Satz 6 SGB II, actual expenses for accommodation are no longer recognised insofar as they exceed one and a half times the abstractly reasonable expenses. The blanket statement that every rent is covered in the first twelve months is therefore outdated.

Priority of placement into work reinstated. Placement into work once again generally takes priority over funding further training. Anyone seeking a retraining course or funded further training must therefore justify this clearly in the cooperation plan and agree it with the integration specialist.

Childcare obligation from the completed 14th month of life. § 10 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 SGB II now ties the reasonableness of work for parents to the completed 14th month of the child's life; previously this threshold was the completed third year of life. For single parents, this means that childcare issues become relevant at the Jobcenter much earlier.

Already abolished: the integration agreement. It was already replaced on 1 July 2023 by the potential analysis and the cooperation plan under § 15 SGB II. If a form or a guide still refers to an "integration agreement", this is a reliable sign of an outdated legal status.

Required documents

The Jobcenter checks three things: your identity, whether you are in need of assistance, and the amount of your specific needs. Every document can be assigned to one of these three questions. It is better to submit the application incomplete but immediately – under § 37 Abs. 2 Satz 2 SGB II, the application already secures the current month, and you can submit supporting documents within the deadline set by the Jobcenter. Make a copy or a scan of everything for your own records.

Main application for Grundsicherungsgeld, together with annexes — The main application is submitted by the person entitled to benefits for the entire Bedarfsgemeinschaft; a separate annex is added for each further person, plus the annexes on accommodation, income and assets. You can obtain the forms at the reception area of your Jobcenter, as a PDF on the website of the Federal Employment Agency, or fill them in online in the jobcenter.digital portal. An informal application – even made by phone or recorded at the counter – is sufficient at first to secure the month; you submit the forms afterwards.

Valid identity card (Personalausweis), passport or residence title (original) — Without proof of identity, the Jobcenter can establish neither your identity nor your habitual residence, to which § 36 SGB II ties local jurisdiction. Anyone identifying themselves with a passport must also present a registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung), because a passport does not contain an address – you can obtain this at the Bürgeramt (citizens' office). Since 7 February 2026, the identity card costs €46.00 from age 24 and €27.60 below that age; if it has expired and you lack the money, raise this with the Jobcenter.

Tenancy agreement, service charge statement and proof of heating costs — These documents determine the amount of your costs for accommodation and heating, which are paid in addition to the standard needs. The tenancy agreement must be submitted in full, including any supplements and rent increases, because the Jobcenter must assess cold rent, cold service charges and heating costs separately – the grace period does not apply to heating. In the case of home ownership, notices of property tax and municipal charges (Grundabgabenbescheide), the owners' association service charge statement (Wohngeldabrechnung) and proof of the loan's interest (not repayment) take the place of the tenancy agreement.

Bank statements for the last three months from all accounts — Complete statements are required for all accounts of all persons in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft, including secondary, savings and children's accounts as well as accounts at direct banks. They serve as proof of income and assets and are the most common reason for queries. You may black out payment references insofar as they relate to particularly sensitive data (such as trade union, party or religious affiliation); amounts, transaction dates and account balances must, however, remain legible.

All types of income proof — This includes the last three payslips, the employment contract, notices for unemployment benefit, sickness, parental or transitional benefit, pension and maintenance proof, and income from renting or self-employment. What counts is the income actually received during the approval period, not that of the previous year. For self-employed activity, the EKS form is also required, in which you forecast income and expenses; the Jobcenter then usually makes a provisional decision under § 41a SGB II.

Proof of assets — Savings balances, building society contracts, securities accounts, life and pension insurance policies with surrender value, motor vehicles and real estate must all be declared. These are checked against the age-tiered allowances under § 12 Abs. 2 SGB II of €5,000 to €20,000 per person. Anyone who conceals assets risks not only having the money reclaimed but also criminal proceedings under § 263 StGB – account balances can in any case be traced via the automated account query.

Proof of health and long-term care insurance — Anyone who receives Grundsicherungsgeld and is not covered by family insurance is generally placed under compulsory insurance; the Jobcenter registers you with your health insurance fund (Krankenkasse) and pays the contributions. Present your insurance card or a Mitgliedsbescheinigung (health insurance membership certificate) and state whether you are covered under statutory, private or family insurance. Privately insured persons receive a subsidy, which is why the current insurance policy and the contribution invoice must be enclosed.

Proof of priority benefits and additional needs allowances — Grundsicherungsgeld is subsidiary: Kindergeld (child benefit), Kinderzuschlag (child supplement), Wohngeld (housing benefit), maintenance, pensions and unemployment benefit I must be claimed beforehand and affect the calculation. Submit the relevant notices or applications. For additional needs allowances under § 21 SGB II – for example for pregnancy, single parenthood, disability or an expensive diet – you will also need the maternity record, the severe disability certificate or a medical certificate.

Step by step

Determine the competent Jobcenter and apply within the current month

The competent institution is the one in whose area you have your habitual residence (§ 36 SGB II) – that is, the Jobcenter for your place of residence, not that of your former workplace. Under § 37 Abs. 2 Satz 2 SGB II, the application takes effect retroactively to the first day of the month in which you submit it: an application on 25 August gives you benefits from 1 August. Nothing, however, is paid for periods before the application – the decisive threshold is therefore the change of month, not the individual day. If the month is coming to an end and you are missing documents, submit an informal application by email, by phone or recorded at the reception area; this is sufficient to secure the month.

Completing the main application and annexes

The main application is supplemented by annexes: one for each further person in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft, plus annexes for costs of accommodation, income and assets. You can submit the application online via the jobcenter.digital portal, in person at the reception area, or in writing by post; all three routes are equivalent. Note one particularity that many people overlook: initial furnishing for a home and for clothing under § 24 Abs. 1 and 3 SGB II, as well as needs for learning support under § 28 Abs. 5 SGB II, must be applied for separately under § 37 Abs. 1 Satz 2 SGB II. The main application does not cover these – anyone who applies for them only months later will only receive them from that month onwards. There is a separate form for initial furnishing of a home.

Submitting documents in full and fulfilling obligations to cooperate

After the application is received, the Jobcenter requests the missing proof with a specific deadline. Your obligations to cooperate arise from §§ 60 to 65 SGB I: to provide information, to specify evidence and to submit documents. Anyone who fails to cooperate despite written notice must expect that the benefit will be refused or withdrawn in whole or in part under § 66 SGB I – this is not a sanction under § 31a SGB II but a separate legal consequence, and it also covers the costs of accommodation, so that rent arrears can arise in extreme cases. Submit documents in a way that is verifiable, therefore: via the jobcenter.digital inbox, by Einwurf-Einschreiben (registered letter delivered to the recipient's letterbox), or against a date stamp on a copy.

Potential analysis and cooperation plan at the Jobcenter

At the initial meeting, the integration specialist draws up a potential analysis of your knowledge, skills and obstacles to placement under § 15 SGB II and works with you to develop a cooperation plan. This has fully replaced the former integration agreement since 1 July 2023: it is formulated in plain language, is not an administrative act and contains no notice of legal consequences – obligations are set separately by administrative act where necessary. Since the 2026 reform, the priority of placement into work also applies again: placement into work generally takes priority over funding further training. For details on the process, see our page on the cooperation plan.

Checking the notice and observing the approval period

The approval notice shows the standard needs, the costs for accommodation and heating, and any additional needs allowances separately; the enclosed calculation sheet shows which income was taken into account with which allowance. Under § 41 Abs. 3 Satz 1 SGB II, approval is generally given for one year; if a provisional decision is made on the entitlement (§ 41a SGB II) or the costs for accommodation and heating are unreasonable, the period should be shortened to six months. Check in particular the number of household members taken into account, the period, and the income offset. You may lodge an objection (Widerspruch) against an incorrect notice within one month of notification (§ 84 Abs. 1 SGG); the application and the objection procedure are free of charge under § 64 Abs. 1 SGB X.

Submitting the renewal application in good time

Payment ends automatically with the approval period – there is no automatic extension by the authority, and in many Jobcenters you are no longer reminded of the end date either. Submit the renewal application around two months before expiry; if circumstances are unchanged, a shortened form is usually sufficient. § 37 Abs. 2 Satz 2 SGB II also applies to it: it takes effect retroactively to the first day of the month, so a gap of a few days can be remedied, but a month skipped entirely is lost for good. If your rent, income or household size changes, report this immediately under § 60 Abs. 1 SGB I, regardless of the renewal.

Fees & costs

The application for Grundsicherungsgeld costs nothing: the administrative procedure under the Social Code is free of charge under § 64 Abs. 1 SGB X, and this also applies to the objection procedure. The following table therefore does not set out fees, but the amounts relevant to your application – the 2026 standard needs rates and the allowances that determine whether, and to what extent, you are entitled.

The standard needs rates apply uniformly nationwide and were not increased as of 1 January 2026. Arithmetically, this would have resulted in around €557 for rate 1; the protection-of-vested-rights rule prevents the reduction, so it remains at €563. The basis is the Ordinance on Updating the Standard Needs Rates for 2026, promulgated in the Federal Law Gazette on 22 October 2025.

Item	Amount 2026	Legal basis
Application, notice and objection procedure	Free of charge	§ 64 Abs. 1 SGB X
Standard needs rate 1 — single persons, single parents	€563/month	§ 20 SGB II
Standard needs rate 2 — adult partners, per person	€506/month	§ 20 SGB II
Standard needs rate 3 — adults without their own household / in institutions	€451/month	§ 20 SGB II
Standard needs rate 4 — from the start of the 15th to the completion of the 18th year of life	€471/month	§ 23 SGB II
Standard needs rate 5 — from the start of the 7th to the completion of the 14th year of life	€390/month	§ 23 SGB II
Standard needs rate 6 — up to the completion of the 6th year of life	€357/month	§ 23 SGB II
Accommodation during the grace period (1 year)	Actual expenses, up to a maximum of 1.5 times the reasonable amount	§ 22 Abs. 1 Satz 2, 3, 6 SGB II
Heating	Only in a reasonable amount from the outset	§ 22 Abs. 1 Satz 9 SGB II
Asset allowance per person — up to the completion of the 30th year of life	€5,000	§ 12 Abs. 2 SGB II
Asset allowance per person — from the 31st year of life	€10,000	§ 12 Abs. 2 SGB II
Asset allowance per person — from the 41st year of life	€12,500	§ 12 Abs. 2 SGB II
Asset allowance per person — from the 51st year of life	€20,000	§ 12 Abs. 2 SGB II
Owner-occupied property	Protected up to 140 sqm (house) or 130 sqm (owner-occupied flat), + 20 sqm per person from the fifth person onwards	§ 12 Abs. 1 Satz 2 Nr. 5 SGB II
Earned income allowance — basic personal allowance	€100/month	§ 11b Abs. 2 Satz 1 SGB II
Earned income allowance — portion above €100 up to €520	20 %	§ 11b Abs. 3 Satz 2 SGB II
Earned income allowance — portion above €520 up to €1,000	30 %	§ 11b Abs. 3 Satz 2 SGB II
Earned income allowance — portion above €1,000 up to €1,200 (€1,500 with a child)	10 %	§ 11b Abs. 3 Satz 2 SGB II

Minijob example calculation: On €603 gross – the minijob threshold for 2026 – €100 basic personal allowance, 20% of €420 (= €84) and 30% of €83 (= €24.90) remain disregarded. The earned income allowance thus amounts to €208.90, and around €394 is taken into account. Note: the €520 threshold under § 11b SGB II is no longer the minijob threshold – in 2026 this stands at €603 a month because of the minimum wage of €13.90.

Important notes

The application takes effect from the first of the month, not only from the day of the application. § 37 Abs. 2 SGB II states: "Benefits under this book are not provided for periods before the application is made. The application for benefits to secure subsistence takes effect retroactively to the first day of the month." Applying promptly remains the right thing to do – but because of the monthly principle, not because of a loss by the day. Anyone who applies on the 30th of a month receives the full month; anyone who waits until the 1st of the following month loses it entirely.

Grace period for accommodation: one year, but with a cap and exceptions. The grace period runs for one year from the start of the month in which benefits are first received (§ 22 Abs. 1 Satz 2, 3 SGB II). Actual expenses are recognised, but since 1 July 2026 only up to a maximum of one and a half times the abstractly reasonable expenses (§ 22 Abs. 1 Satz 6 SGB II). If the abstractly reasonable Bruttokaltmiete (gross cold rent: rent plus service charges, excluding heating) in your local authority area is, for example, €500, then up to €750 is recognisable during the grace period. The grace period also no longer applies if a local square-metre ceiling or the rent level permitted under §§ 556d to 556g BGB is exceeded (§ 22 Abs. 1 Satz 8 SGB II).

The grace period does not apply to heating costs. § 22 Abs. 1 Satz 9 SGB II explicitly excludes heating: it must be reasonable from the outset. Anyone living in an energy-inefficient home should therefore document consumption figures from the very first month of receiving benefits and take Jobcenter queries seriously.

Assets are checked on an age-tiered basis, per person. § 12 Abs. 2 SGB II provides for €5,000 up to the completion of the 30th year of life, €10,000 from the 31st, €12,500 from the 41st and €20,000 from the 51st year of life. Unused allowances are transferred to the other persons in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft – in a couple's household, therefore, the total counts, not the individual amount. Self-occupied residential property remains protected under § 12 Abs. 1 Satz 2 Nr. 5 SGB II; above the area limits, the grace period under § 12 Abs. 1 Satz 3 SGB II applies.

There is no statutory processing deadline – but there are three levers for delays. How long your application takes depends on the competent authority. If payment is delayed, the following may be considered: the advance under § 42 SGB I, if an entitlement exists in principle and establishing it will take a longer time; the provisional decision under § 41a SGB II, if certain requirements have not yet been clarified; and the action for failure to act under § 88 SGG, six months after the application or three months after lodging the objection. In an acute emergency, an application for interim relief to the Sozialgericht (social court) leads to a result considerably faster.

Special needs must be applied for separately. Under § 37 Abs. 1 Satz 2 SGB II this applies to initial furnishing of a home and to clothing including pregnancy and birth (§ 24 Abs. 1 and 3 SGB II), as well as to needs under § 28 Abs. 5 SGB II. These benefits are not covered by the main application and likewise only take effect retroactively to the month of the respective application.

The approval period may be shorter than a year. § 41 Abs. 3 Satz 1 SGB II names one year as the standard case, but Satz 2 provides that the period should regularly be shortened to six months if a provisional decision is made or the accommodation costs are unreasonable. Self-employed persons and those with fluctuating income therefore often receive approval for only six months – plan your renewal application accordingly earlier.

Every change must be reported without delay. § 60 Abs. 1 SGB I obliges you to report changes in your circumstances: new or changed income, moving house, persons moving in or out, inheritances, hospital stays or trips abroad. If you are overpaid, the Jobcenter reclaims the money under §§ 45, 48 and 50 SGB X in conjunction with § 40 SGB II; in the case of deception, § 263 StGB also applies. Report in writing and keep the proof.

Parents: reasonableness now begins considerably earlier. Since the 2026 reform, § 10 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 SGB II refers to the completed 14th month of the child's life, previously the completed third year of life. Arrange a childcare place early and raise any lack of childcare options in the cooperation plan so that it is placed on record.

Grundsicherungsgeld is subsidiary. You must claim priority benefits such as unemployment benefit I, Kinderzuschlag, Wohngeld or maintenance. In some situations – for example low earned income with children – the combination of Kinderzuschlag and Wohngeld is more favourable for you than Grundsicherungsgeld and means you need not receive it at all.

Common mistakes

Focused on the "application day" and missed the change of month

Many guides claim that the benefit begins exactly on the day of the application. In fact, § 37 Abs. 2 Satz 2 SGB II provides that the application takes effect retroactively to the first day of the month. Anyone who waits until the 2nd of the following month because documents are missing loses an entire month's entitlement – for a single-person household, €563 plus the costs for accommodation and heating. An informal application on the last day of the month would have prevented this.

Calculated on the basis of €40,000 in protected assets

The grace-period allowance of €40,000 for the first person and €15,000 for each further person has been abolished. Anyone who relies on this and does not declare their savings quickly exceeds the actual allowances under § 12 Abs. 2 SGB II by a multiple: for a single person under 30, the limit is €5,000. The result is complete refusal of the application, repayment under §§ 45, 50 SGB X for benefits already paid, and, in the case of deliberate false statements, criminal investigation proceedings under § 263 StGB.

Relied on every rent being covered during the grace period

Since 1 July 2026, the 1.5-times cap under § 22 Abs. 1 Satz 6 SGB II has applied, and under Satz 8 the grace period no longer applies at all if the local square-metre ceiling or the rent level permitted under §§ 556d to 556g BGB is exceeded. Anyone who plans on the old rule and keeps an expensive home pays the difference out of the standard needs – with a €200 gap, only €363 of the €563 is left for food, clothing, electricity and travel tickets.

Bank statements submitted incomplete or blacked out

If statements for individual accounts or entire months are missing, the application is treated as incomplete. The Jobcenter sets a deadline and may refuse or withdraw the benefit under § 66 SGB I if you do not cooperate – including the costs for accommodation and heating, so that rent arrears can arise. Only blacking out particularly sensitive payment references is permitted; anyone who obscures amounts or account balances provokes a renewed request and loses further weeks.

Secondary income not reported

Under § 60 Abs. 1 SGB I, all income must be reported without delay – including one-off payments, tips, tax refunds and income from a minijob. If the offset becomes known later, the Jobcenter revokes the notice under §§ 45 or 48 SGB X and reclaims the money under § 50 SGB X, often added up over several months. In the case of deliberate deception, criminal proceedings for fraud under § 263 StGB are an additional risk.

Initial furnishing "included" in the main application

Initial furnishing for a home and clothing (§ 24 Abs. 1 and 3 SGB II), as well as needs under § 28 Abs. 5 SGB II, must be applied for separately under § 37 Abs. 1 Satz 2 SGB II. Anyone who assumes the main application covers everything and only asks after moving in will receive the benefit at the earliest from the month of the separate application – there is nothing retroactively for furniture already bought.

Renewal application submitted too late

The approval ends automatically; no one extends it on their own initiative. If the application is submitted only in the following month, it only takes effect retroactively to the first day of that month – the skipped month is lost, and during that time rent and health insurance contributions also remain unpaid. Note the end of the approval period in your calendar straight after receiving the notice, two months in advance.

Notice not checked and the objection deadline left to expire

Errors in the number of household members, the accommodation costs or the income offset are common. The objection must be lodged within one month of notification (§ 84 Abs. 1 SGG); after that, the notice becomes final and can only be corrected under the narrow conditions of § 44 SGB X. The procedure is free of charge under § 64 Abs. 1 SGB X – so an objection costs you nothing but postage.

Relying on guides mentioning an "integration agreement"

The integration agreement has not existed since 1 July 2023; it has been replaced by the potential analysis and the cooperation plan under § 15 SGB II. Anyone who relies on old templates or forms argues in the interview on the basis of a legal situation that no longer exists, while also overlooking the priority of placement into work reintroduced in 2026, which makes approval of further training more difficult.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bürgergeld now called Grundsicherungsgeld?

Yes. Since 1 July 2026 the statutory name has been Grundsicherungsgeld: § 19 Abs. 1 Satz 1 SGB II provides that persons entitled to benefits who are fit for work receive Grundsicherungsgeld, and the official heading of § 19 SGB II now reads "Grundsicherungsgeld und Leistungen für Bildung und Teilhabe" (basic income support benefit and education and participation benefits). The benefit has therefore not ceased to exist: the entitlement requirements, the competent Jobcenter and the application procedure continue, and only the name and individual provisions have changed. The term Bürgergeld continues to be used colloquially and refers to the same benefit.

How much is Grundsicherungsgeld in 2026?

In 2026, the standard needs rate for single persons and single parents is €563 (rate 1), for adult partners €506 each (rate 2), and for adult persons entitled to benefits without their own household €451 (rate 3). For children and young people, €471 applies from the start of the 15th to the completion of the 18th year of life, €390 from the start of the 7th to the completion of the 14th year of life, and €357 up to the completion of the 6th year of life. The amounts were not increased as of 1 January 2026 – it is the second zero increase in a row; arithmetically, around €557 would have resulted, but the protection-of-vested-rights rule prevents the reduction. Accommodation and heating costs, as well as any additional needs allowances, are paid on top.

How much in assets may I keep?

The previously named grace-period allowance of €40,000 for the first person and €15,000 for each further person has been abolished. Under § 12 Abs. 2 SGB II, an age-tiered allowance now applies per person in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft: €5,000 up to the completion of the 30th year of life, €10,000 from the 31st, €12,500 from the 41st and €20,000 from the 51st year of life. Unused allowances are transferred to the other persons in the Bedarfsgemeinschaft. Self-occupied residential property remains protected, but only up to 140 square metres for a house and 130 square metres for an owner-occupied flat, plus 20 square metres per person from the fifth person onwards.

Does the application take effect retroactively?

Yes, but only up to the first day of the month. § 37 Abs. 2 SGB II provides that benefits are not provided for periods before the application is made, but that the application for benefits to secure subsistence takes effect retroactively to the first day of the month. Anyone who applies on 25 August receives benefits from 1 August; anyone who waits until 1 September loses the whole of August. The widespread claim that the benefit only begins on the day of the application, and that every day of delay costs money, is incorrect – what matters is the change of month.

Will my rent be covered in full?

Not without limits. During the one-year grace period from the start of the month in which benefits are first received, actual expenses for accommodation are recognised (§ 22 Abs. 1 Satz 2 and 3 SGB II), but since 1 July 2026 only up to a maximum of one and a half times the abstractly reasonable expenses (§ 22 Abs. 1 Satz 6 SGB II). Under Satz 8, the grace period also does not apply if a local square-metre ceiling or the rent level permitted under §§ 556d to 556g BGB is exceeded. The grace period does not apply to heating costs in any case (§ 22 Abs. 1 Satz 9 SGB II): these must be reasonable from the outset.

How long does processing take and what can I do if it is delayed?

The SGB II contains no statutory processing deadline; how long it takes depends on the competent authority and on how complete your documents are. In the event of delay, three routes are open: the advance under § 42 SGB I, if an entitlement exists in principle and establishing it will take a longer time; the provisional decision under § 41a SGB II, if certain requirements have not yet been conclusively clarified; and the action for failure to act under § 88 SGG, which can be brought six months after the application – or, for an objection, three months after it was lodged. If your existence is acutely threatened, an application for interim relief to the Sozialgericht is also an option.

How much can I earn on top with a minijob?

Under § 11b Abs. 2 Satz 1 SGB II, €100 of gross income remains disregarded from the outset. Of the portion above €100 up to €520, a further 20% remains disregarded, of the portion above €520 up to €1,000 it is 30%, and of the portion above €1,000 up to €1,200 – or up to €1,500 with at least one minor child – it is 10% (§ 11b Abs. 3 Satz 2 SGB II). Important: the minijob threshold in 2026 is €603 a month and no longer €520, because it is tied to the minimum wage of €13.90. A minijob at the full threshold therefore already falls into the 30% band: at €603 gross, an allowance of €208.90 results, and around €394 is taken into account.

For what period is approval given?

Under § 41 Abs. 3 Satz 1 SGB II, approval is generally given for one year. However, the approval period should regularly be shortened to six months if a provisional decision is made on the entitlement (§ 41a SGB II) or if the costs for accommodation and heating are unreasonable. Payment ends automatically with the approval period: the renewal application must be submitted in good time, because it too only takes effect retroactively to the first day of the month.