📝 Basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld/Bürgergeld) without a fixed address
In brief
You can apply for basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld, called "Bürgergeld" until 30 June 2026) even without a home of your own. If no habitual residence can be established, under § 36 SGB II the Jobcenter at your actual place of stay is responsible. In practice, c/o addresses of advice centres or day centres are widely accepted as a delivery address, even though this is not regulated uniformly nationwide in any provision.
Step by step
- Go to the Jobcenter at your place of stayGo to the Jobcenter in whose area you actually are – there is no need to clarify jurisdiction beforehand.
- Submit an informal applicationAn application can be made informally; the lack of a registered address is no ground for exclusion.
- Give a c/o addressGive the c/o address of an advice centre, day centre or similar facility as your postal address if you do not have one of your own.
- Make sure you can be reachedMake sure you can be reached, for example by regularly visiting in person if post or phone do not work reliably.
- Lodge an objection if refusedIf a Jobcenter refuses solely because of a missing registered address, refer to § 36 SGB II and lodge an objection (Widerspruch).
Deadlines
- A Jobcenter may not reject an application solely because there is no registered address.
- Acceptance of c/o addresses and the exact requirements for being reachable are not regulated uniformly nationwide and differ in practice from Jobcenter to Jobcenter – if in doubt, clarify beforehand with a specialist advice centre.
- Without a bank account, payment is more difficult; an entitlement to a basic account (Basiskonto) arises from the Zahlungskontengesetz (ZKG), not from social law.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
§ 36 SGB II: local jurisdiction
In principle, the Jobcenter at the habitual place of residence is responsible. If a habitual residence cannot be established – as is often the case for people without a fixed place to stay – under § 36 SGB II the Jobcenter in whose district the person actually is, is responsible. This fallback rule ensures that missing registration does not lead to exclusion from benefits.
Postal delivery in administrative practice
The use of c/o addresses at advice centres, day centres or railway mission stations is widespread administrative practice, but is not expressly regulated by a uniform federal legal provision. The exact handling – for example how often you have to visit in person if reliable postal delivery is not possible – varies between Jobcenters.
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.