➕ Additional earnings alongside Grundsicherungsgeld
In brief
If you work alongside Grundsicherungsgeld, your income is not counted in full. A basic allowance and graded percentages ensure that work pays financially: the more you earn, the smaller the share you may additionally keep – but you always have more in total available than without employment.
Step by step
- Report incomeTell the Jobcenter without delay whenever you take up employment and how much you earn.
- Have allowances calculatedThe Jobcenter calculates the share that is not counted using the statutory scale; have the calculation explained to you in the notice of decision.
- Submit proofSubmit payslips or proof of business income regularly so that the benefit is calculated correctly.
- Report changes immediatelyIf your income rises or falls, report it promptly – changes reported too late can lead to repayment demands.
Deadlines
- The mini-job limit was tied to the increased statutory minimum wage on 1.1.2026 and, according to consistent but not officially verified-in-detail secondary sources, is around €603 per month – check the exact, currently valid amount directly with the Minijob-Zentrale or the BMAS before important decisions.
- Mini-job income is also not counted in full, but it counts towards the calculation of the allowance – undeclared work or concealed income can be prosecuted as benefit fraud and additionally leads to repayment demands.
- If you live with minor children in the household, you benefit from the higher allowance limit of €1,500 instead of €1,200 – this is not recognised automatically but must be known to the Jobcenter.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Calculation under § 11b SGB II
Of gross earned income, €100 initially remain entirely uncounted (basic allowance, which at the same time covers work-related expenses, insurance contributions and the like as a lump sum). Of the income above that, a further 20% between €100 and €520 and 30% between €520 and €1,000 remain uncounted. Between €1,000 and €1,200 (or €1,500 with at least one minor child in the benefit unit) a further 10% remain uncounted. According to the sources evaluated, the reform of 1.7.2026 left this scale unchanged.
Mini-job limit 2026
The mini-job limit is tied by law to the minimum wage and was adjusted when it was raised on 1.1.2026. According to several consistent but secondary sources it is around €603 per month in 2026 (€7,236 per year); this value could not be cross-checked directly against an official primary source (Minijob-Zentrale/BMAS) in this research and should be verified there before a binding statement is made in an individual case.
Relationship to sanctions
If income is knowingly concealed or assets are reduced to bring about need for assistance, this can be sanctioned as a breach of duty and entail criminal consequences (benefit fraud, § 263 StGB, or an administrative offence under § 63 SGB II).
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