I receive Grundsicherungsgeld — am I automatically exempted?
No, and this misunderstanding costs many people real money every year. An exemption is granted exclusively on application: no data is transferred for this purpose between the authority that awards your social benefit and the Landesrundfunkanstalt. Without an application supported by evidence, the contribution keeps running, even where a benefit has been received for years. What you need is a copy of the benefit notice showing your name, the type of benefit and the approval period – you may black out the amounts, because what is checked is only whether and for how long you receive the benefit. At the same time, apply for the retroactive effect: under § 4 Abs. 4 RBStV, up to three years are possible.
The law says “Arbeitslosengeld II” — does that still apply to me?
Yes. § 4 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 RBStV still refers to “recipients of Sozialgeld or Arbeitslosengeld II” – a name that has not existed since 2023. The benefit was afterwards called Bürgergeld and has, since the reform of July 2026, been called, under § 19 Abs. 1 SGB II, Grundsicherungsgeld. The state treaty has simply not kept pace with the renaming, because it can only be amended if all the federal states amend it. This has no effect on your entitlement: the Beitragsservice records the benefit as exemption ground 403 c (previously 403 b) and grants the exemption on that basis. So do not let the outdated name stop you from making the application.
I narrowly do not receive a social benefit — do I have a chance all the same?
Yes, and this is the least known part of the provision. § 4 Abs. 6 RBStV provides that a particular case of hardship exists “in particular where a social benefit under Abs. 1 Nr. 1 to 10 was refused in a notice issued by the competent authority on the ground that the income exceeds the applicable income limit by less than the amount of the Rundfunkbeitrag”. So anyone who misses out on a benefit by less than €18.36 a month has an exemption ground expressly named in the law. Two practical consequences follow: apply for the social benefit even where you expect a refusal – without a notice, there is no evidence. And keep the notice of refusal: it is the decisive document here.
How far back can I be exempted retroactively?
Up to three years. § 4 Abs. 4 RBStV allows the exemption to take effect “at the earliest, however, three years before the first of the month in which the exemption or reduction is applied for”. That is a lot – up to €660.96 – but you do not get it automatically: you must expressly apply for the retroactive effect and enclose benefit notices for the whole period. No exemption is granted for months without evidence. Do not confuse this rule with the second three-year rule: if your benefit notice is open-ended, the exemption is itself limited to three years and must then be applied for again. One rule looks backward, the other forward.
Are pensioners exempted?
Not because of the pension. Receiving an old-age pension is not an exemption ground under § 4 Abs. 1 RBStV, regardless of its amount – even a very small pension does not, by itself, exempt you. What does exempt you is receiving one of the listed social benefits, and the most important of these for older people is basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity under Chapter Four of SGB XII (exemption ground 402). Anyone receiving it is exempted on application. Anyone who has not applied for it should have this checked – roughly half of those entitled do not apply. And if it is narrowly refused, the case of hardship under subsection 6 may come into play.
How long does the exemption last?
As long as your proof lasts. If the benefit notice is time-limited, the exemption ends with the approval period; if it is open-ended, the exemption is limited to three years. In both cases the same risk applies: after expiry, the obligation to pay arises again automatically, without a query and without a reminder – and anyone who overlooks this suddenly has an arrears balance plus a late-payment penalty of 1%, at least €8.00. So note the end date as soon as the approval notice arrives, and submit the extension before it expires. If your benefit continues to be approved, the new notice is enough.
Does the exemption apply to the whole dwelling?
It applies to the dwelling, but only on one condition. Since the contribution is due per dwelling under § 2 Abs. 1 RBStV, it falls away once the liable person living there is exempted. If, however, a further adult who is not exempted lives in the dwelling, a contribution remains payable for the dwelling – that person is then held liable. This is particularly relevant in shared flats and for couples where only one person receives benefits. State the living arrangements openly, therefore: an exemption granted on an incomplete basis is later revoked, and the contributions are reclaimed for the whole period.
Must I keep paying while the application is being processed?
Yes. An exemption application has no suspensive effect – the obligation to pay continues until it is approved. This may feel wrong, but it is the more favourable option: if the exemption is approved, where applicable retroactively, overpaid contributions are refunded. If, by contrast, you stop paying and the application is refused or only partly approved, you have an arrears balance, on which, after four weeks, a late-payment penalty of 1%, at least €8.00 accrues – and further down the line you face an assessment notice (Festsetzungsbescheid) and enforcement. So let the direct debit continue to run until the approval is in writing.
