The Jobcenter: Citizen’s Benefit and Help Finding Work

This guide is for internationals who have recently moved to Germany and want to understand the Jobcenter, the office that pays basic income support and helps people into work. After reading it, you will know who can claim, what the Jobcenter expects in return, and how it differs from the Agentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency).

• What the Jobcenter does
• Jobcenter or Agentur für Arbeit?
• Who can claim basic income support
• Who usually cannot claim
• How income and assets are counted
• What the Jobcenter expects from you
• FAQ

What the Jobcenter does

People who live in Germany and cannot support themselves and their family can apply at the Jobcenter for Grundsicherung für Arbeitsuchende (basic income support for jobseekers). According to Handbook Germany’s guide to the Jobcenter, this benefit used to be called Bürgergeld (citizen’s benefit), and before that Arbeitslosengeld II or Hartz IV. Bürgergeld was abolished on 1 July 2026. The new system is designed to help people find work more quickly, and its rules on assets, housing costs and the duty to cooperate are stricter.

The monthly payment, called Grundsicherungsgeld, covers everyday costs such as food, clothing, hygiene items, electricity and public transport tickets. The Jobcenter also pays rent and heating, but it covers heating costs only up to a certain level. The Jobcenter works out the amount for each household.

The Jobcenter’s main aim is to help you find work and become financially independent. Besides the monthly payment, it can provide:

• German courses or further training, if these improve your chances of finding a job
• the education package, Leistungen zu Bildung und Teilhabe (education and participation benefits)
• money or vouchers for furniture for a first flat
• extra help in particular situations, such as pregnancy or a severe illness
• Einstiegsgeld (start-up allowance) when you start work after a period of unemployment or become self-employed
• contributions to health insurance

It may also pay to have foreign degrees translated and certified. This money usually comes from the Vermittlungsbudget (placement budget). There is no fixed right to it: the Jobcenter decides case by case. The page recommends checking with the Jobcenter before you order a translation.

Jobcenter or Agentur für Arbeit?

Newcomers often confuse these two offices. The Agentur für Arbeit, also called the Arbeitsagentur, pays Arbeitslosengeld I (ALG I, unemployment benefit), which is an insurance benefit. People who have paid into unemployment insurance for at least 12 months and are now unemployed get ALG I from the Arbeitsagentur first.

The Jobcenter takes over when someone has no right to ALG I, when ALG I has run out, or when it is not enough to live on. It also helps people who work but earn too little to support themselves and their family. In short, the Arbeitsagentur pays according to past contributions, and the Jobcenter pays according to need.

Who can claim basic income support

You can receive Grundsicherungsgeld if you meet all of these conditions:

• you are at least 15 and have not yet reached retirement age (the page does not give the retirement age and refers to a separate topic page instead)
• you are erwerbsfähig (able to work), meaning you can generally work at least 3 hours a day
• your gewöhnlicher Aufenthalt (habitual residence) is in Germany
• you are hilfebedürftig (in need of assistance), meaning your income and assets do not cover your living costs
• you cannot find work or earn too little, and either have no (further) right to ALG I or find it is not enough

The Jobcenter assesses need across the whole Bedarfsgemeinschaft (household whose members are expected to support each other). This covers spouses or registered civil partners, and unmarried children under 25 who live with you and cannot support themselves. A partner also counts in any of these cases: you have lived together for more than a year, you have a child together and live together, you have access to each other’s accounts, or you care for children or relatives together. Flatmates in a Wohngemeinschaft (WG, shared flat) do not count.

Who usually cannot claim

The Jobcenter is not responsible for:

• asylum seekers and people with a Duldung (tolerated stay), who receive Asylbewerberleistungen (asylum seekers’ benefits) from the Sozialamt (social welfare office)
• students
• people who are too old or permanently too ill to work, who are the Sozialamt‘s responsibility
• people who came to Germany only to look for work, for example on a Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card)
• EU citizens in their first 3 months after arrival, and for as long as their right of residence rests only on looking for work

The EU rule does not apply to people who work in Germany, even on a low income, or who are self-employed. Separate rules apply to people who have lived in Germany legally for at least 5 years or who have recently lost their job. Handbook Germany links to a table from GGUA (an advice organisation for refugees and migrants) that shows which Aufenthaltstitel (residence permits) give access to benefits.

Claiming benefits can also cause problems when you extend a residence permit, apply for a Niederlassungserlaubnis (settlement permit) or apply for naturalisation, because it may mean you do not meet the requirement to support yourself. Questions about an individual residence status belong with the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners’ authority) or a migration advice service.

How income and assets are counted

When you apply, you must declare your income. Income includes wages, ALG I, Elterngeld (parental allowance), Kindergeld (child benefit), maintenance, pensions, rental income, interest, tax refunds and severance pay. The Jobcenter does not count certain amounts, called a Freibetrag (allowance), or certain expenses. It also ignores the first €100 of any additional earnings.

Savings and inheritances count as assets. In the first six months on benefits, the Karenzzeit (grace period) lets you keep more of your savings. The page does not say how much. From the seventh month, the amount you may keep, called Schonvermögen (protected assets), depends on your age (as of 2026):

• up to 21: €5,000
• 22 to 30: €7,500
• 31 to 40: €10,000
• 41 to 50: €12,500
• 51 to 60: €15,000
• 61 and over: €20,000

These amounts apply to each person and are added together for a household. Some things are also protected: a reasonable car worth up to around €15,000, retirement savings, funeral arrangements already made, and ordinary furniture. A home you live in yourself is usually not a problem. After one year on benefits, the Jobcenter does not count up to 130 square metres of a flat or 140 square metres of a house. If more than four people live there, the limit rises by 20 square metres for each extra person.

What the Jobcenter expects from you

Basic income support comes with a duty to cooperate, and the rules became stricter on 1 July 2026. Anyone who turns down a suitable job, or repeatedly misses required measures, must expect larger cuts to their benefit. In some cases, the money for basic living costs can be stopped completely. People who need support for personal or health reasons can still get help. The page does not say how large the cuts are or what counts as a suitable job. The Jobcenter decides.

FAQ

Is Bürgergeld still paid?

No. Bürgergeld was abolished on 1 July 2026 and replaced by Grundsicherung für Arbeitsuchende. The Jobcenter now pays it as Grundsicherungsgeld under stricter rules.

Can EU citizens claim straight after arriving?

Usually not. EU citizens generally cannot claim in their first 3 months, or while their right of residence rests only on looking for work. This does not apply to people who are working, even on a low income, or who are self-employed.

Can claiming benefits affect a residence permit?

Yes. Receiving benefits may mean you do not meet the requirement to support yourself when you extend a permit, apply for a settlement permit or apply for naturalisation. The Ausländerbehörde or a migration advice service can answer individual questions.

Does a flatmate’s income count?

No. Flatmates in a shared flat or shared accommodation are not part of the Bedarfsgemeinschaft. Spouses, partners who meet the conditions and some children under 25 who live with you are part of it.

Sources: handbookgermany.de

Last verified: 7 November 2026 against the pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the responsible authority always has the final word.

This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. For your own situation, ask the foreigners’ authority (Ausländerbehörde) of your city, a recognised migration advice service or a lawyer (Rechtsanwalt).