If you receive assistance with living expenses or basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity, you can receive benefits for certain one-off needs.

One-time needs include:

• Initial furnishings for your home, including household appliances, for example
  • when moving into your own home for the first time,
  • after a fire in your home,
  • when renting for the first time after serving a long prison sentence,
  • moving out of shared accommodation,
  • when leaving a women's or men's shelter, or
  • after a separation and division of household goods
• Initial provision of clothing, for example
  • after a house fire or flood
  • during pregnancy and childbirth, including
    • initial supplies and
    • maternity clothing,
  • in the event of total loss or new requirements due to exceptional circumstances. This also includes significant weight loss.
• Purchase and repair of orthopedic shoes
• Repair of therapeutic devices and equipment, and
• rental of therapeutic devices, for example, support for the personal contribution when costs are covered by health insurance and, under certain circumstances, even if costs are not covered by health insurance.

If you do not live alone, the social welfare office will take into account the total income of the members of the community of joint liability in order to determine your need for assistance. To this end, the income of all household members living together in one apartment will be taken into account, provided that they share the household expenses. This includes, for example:

• Income from employment
• Maintenance payments
• Pension income

Child benefit paid for minors and any child support payments are attributed to the child in order to cover their needs.

Certain assets are considered exempt assets that are not taken into account, for example:

• Small amounts of cash and financial assets
  • per adult: EUR 10,000
  • per child: EUR 500 or
• an appropriate residential property.

These are not taken into account when calculating benefits.

The one-time benefit can also be granted without an application if your local social welfare office has learned that you are in need and that you meet the requirements for living assistance benefits. If you receive basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity, you must submit an application for benefits for one-time needs.

With a few exceptions, you will not receive benefits for past periods.

• You are in need of assistance, meaning that you cannot fully cover your one-time needs from your own resources and efforts.
• You have reached the age limit for the standard old-age pension or are over 18 years of age and unable to work because you are temporarily or permanently fully incapacitated for work:
  • You are temporarily fully incapacitated for work if you are unable to work regularly for at least 3 hours a day under the usual conditions of the general labor market for the foreseeable future, i.e., for more than 6 months.
• You are under 15 years of age and live
  • with people who themselves receive social assistance, for example with your parents,
  • in a household with your grandparents or in the care of relatives, without receiving economic youth welfare benefits.
• You are not a student or trainee.
• You do not receive:
  • citizen's income, i.e., basic income support for job seekers under the second book of the Social Code (SGB II), or
  • benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act.

There are no notes or special features.

• Appeal
• Action before the social court

• The processing time depends on the individual case. The responsible social welfare office will process your application as quickly as possible. You can shorten the processing time by submitting all documents to the social welfare office promptly and in full.

• Valid identity card or passport, confirmation of residence if applicable
• Proof of temporary or permanent full incapacity for work
• Proof of income, for example:
  • Pension,
  • sickness benefits,
  • child benefit,
  • Alimony payments, or
  • advance maintenance payments
• Proof of assets, for example
  • bank statements and
  • savings balances
• Rental agreement and subsequent amendments, in particular with regard to the rent amount
• Proof of expenses:
  • Rent amount and rent payment
  • Advance payments and statements for ancillary costs and heating costs
  • Documents relating to insurance premiums
• Proof of health and nursing care insurance, i.e.:
  • Information on health insurance and insurance status or
  • Contract for private health and long-term care insurance

• The scope of the required documents, especially proof of income and assets, depends on the individual case. Your local social welfare office may require additional documents from you, for example:
  •  current bank statements,
  • divorce decrees,
  • asset transfer agreements, or
  • maintenance orders.