Apply for basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity

You can receive basic income support if you are over 18 years old and are permanently fully disabled or have reached the relevant age limit for the start of your pension. A further condition is that your own income and assets or those of your spouse or partner are insufficient.

Note: If your annual income is less than 100,000 euros, children or parents do not have to pay maintenance.

The basic income support includes

  • the applicable standard rate,
  • the actual expenses for accommodation and heating, insofar as they are reasonable.
  • Additional needs, for example
    • Possession of a severely disabled person's pass with the G mark
    • Illness, if there is an additional nutritional requirement as a result (e.g. coeliac disease or cystic fibrosis)
    • decentralised hot water generation
  • one-off requirements in special situations (e.g. initial furnishing of a flat), purchase and repair of orthopaedic shoes
  • Contributions to health and long-term care insurance

Note: You can also receive basic income support if you are an inpatient, for example in a care facility.

Related forms and processes

Prerequisite

  • Your income or that of your spouse or partner is below the statutory basic income support requirement.
  • no realisable assets.

Certain assets are considered to be exempt assets that do not have to be taken into account. These include, for example, small amounts of cash or an appropriate piece of real estate that you live in yourselfwhich you live in yourself.

Responsible department

  • if you live in a city district: the city council
  • if you live in a district: the district administration office (Landratsamt)

Note: In some cases, the administrative districts have transferred responsibility to larger cities in their district area. If you live in a rural district, the Landratsamt (district administration office) can name the competent authority in any case.

Procedure

You must apply for basic security benefits by sending an informal letter or in person to the relevant office. They will give you or send you the form "Application for basic security benefits". You can either hand in the completed application form in person or send it by post.

If the legal requirements are met, you will receive an authorisation notice, which is usually limited to 12 months. The money will be transferred to your account at the beginning of the month.

Deadlines

none

Required documents

  • Identity card
  • Proof of permanent and full reduction in earning capacity (e.g. pension certificate) or of employment in a workshop for disabled people.
  • Proof of income - including that of the spouse or partner (e.g. pension statements, child benefit, maintenance payments, possibly the partner's earnings, unemployment benefit statement or other social benefits)
  • Proof of existing assets (e.g. savings, life insurance)
  • Proof of expenses (e.g. rental agreement, rent receipts, heating costs, documents on insurance premiums)
  • if available: Divorce decree, maintenance order

Costs

none

Miscellaneous

none

Appeal

It is possible to appeal against the decision to (not) grant basic income support.

Legal basis

Sozialgesetzbuch Zwölftes Buch (SGB XII)

  • § 41Leistungsberechtigte
  • § 42 Umfang der Leistungen
  • § 42a Bedarfe für Unterkunft und Heizung
  • § 42b Mehrbedarfe
  • § 43 Einsatz von Einkommen und Vermögen
  • § 44 Antragserfordernis, Bewilligungszeitraum
  • § 45 Feststellung der dauerhaften vollen Erwerbsminderung

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Sozialministerium Baden-Württemberg, 18.11.2024