📝 Applying for Grundsicherungsgeld (Bürgergeld)
In brief
Basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld; “Bürgergeld” until 30 June 2026) secures your livelihood if your income and assets are not sufficient and you are able to work. The Jobcenter at your place of residence is responsible. The application is initially possible without a form – what matters is that you submit it before the month begins for which you want benefits, because basic income support is in principle paid only from the day of application, backdated at most to the first day of the month.
Step by step
- Go in person informally or apply onlineAn informal application to the Jobcenter, even an oral one, is enough to secure backdating to the 1st of the month. You can submit the official “Jobcenter-HA” form later.
- Fill in the main application and annexesDepending on your situation, the main application comes with annexes, including the annex “WEP” (further persons) for all household members aged 15 and over.
- Submit documentsTenancy agreement, bank statements for recent months, proof of income, ID card – you can submit missing documents later without losing the application date.
- Have housing benefit checkedIf housing benefit (Wohngeld) would end your need for assistance for at least 3 months for all persons in the household, you must apply for it first; until then the Jobcenter keeps paying in advance (§ 12a SGB II).
- Wait for the notice and check itYou receive a written notice of decision (Bescheid) with a notice of right of appeal. If the facts or law are unclear, the Jobcenter may first decide provisionally (§ 41a SGB II).
Deadlines
- Do not wait with the application “until all documents are complete” – that costs you real money, because backdating only reaches back to the day of application.
- An application made only orally at the reception desk should if possible be confirmed in writing or at least documented with the date (witness, ask for a file number).
- “Bürgergeld” still appears on many forms and in everyday language for the same benefit as “Grundsicherungsgeld” – these are not two different benefits.
- A provisional award is not a kind of provisional legal protection: the regular objection deadline of one month also runs against a provisional notice of decision.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Legal basis and renaming
The basis of entitlement remains § 7 ff. SGB II. With the Thirteenth Act Amending the Second Book of the Social Code and Other Laws (BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 107 of 22.4.2026), in force since 1.7.2026, the benefit was renamed “Grundsicherungsgeld”; the eligibility requirements (ability to work, need for assistance, habitual residence in Germany, age between 15 years and reaching the standard retirement age) remained unchanged.
Informal application and application form
An application can be made informally, also by telephone or in person; the formal application form “Jobcenter-HA” of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency; Formularcenter of the employment agency, as of 04/2026) and supplementary annexes can be submitted later without losing the original application date.
Provisional decision (§ 41a SGB II)
If entitlement in principle is established but the amount or duration is uncertain because of fluctuating income or open facts, the Jobcenter decides provisionally. Without a final decision, the provisional award is deemed finally determined after one year (§ 41a Abs. 5 SGB II); a correction remains possible for up to ten years if new facts become known afterwards (§ 41a Abs. 5 SGB II).
Housing benefit priority (§ 12a SGB II)
Basic income support is subsidiary to housing benefit. A duty to apply for housing benefit first exists only if this would end the need for assistance for at least three months for all members of the benefit unit (Bedarfsgemeinschaft). Until housing benefit is actually paid out, the Jobcenter keeps paying the benefits in advance.
A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.