Social security benefits

In order to enable lower-income households to bear the housing costs for adequate and family-friendly housing, they are supported by means of the housing allowance. A legal entitlement to housing benefit exists if the legal requirements are met. Housing benefit is a non-repayable contribution to the cost of housing.

Housing allowance & study?

However, most students are not entitled to housing benefit because they either receive BAföG (the need for accommodation is already taken into account there) or their own income or that of their parents is too high. However, those who are not entitled to BAföG or who live in an economic community with persons who are basically entitled to housing assistance are entitled to housing assistance. These are, for example, students who

• have exceeded the age limit of 30 years at the beginning of their studies
• have changed their education or specialisation without recognised reason
• have exceeded the maximum duration of support
• have started a non-eligible training course (e.g. a second training course)
• have not provided the required proof of performance according to § 48 BAföG
• have children to care for
• are married or live in a marriage-like community or civil partnership
• receive BAföG as a full loan (aid for graduation)

As a rule, the Housing Benefit Office checks whether the income plus any housing benefit granted is sufficient to live (plausibility check).

Since the Housing Allowance Act does not contain a separate regulation on the minimum subsistence level, it may be necessary to prove in individual cases that the available income is sufficient.

If you meet these requirements, the amount of housing benefit depends on four factors:

• The number of family members in your household
• The level of income of the family members belonging to your household
• The amount of eligible rent (net rent), and
• The rent level of the place of residence

You can only receive housing benefit if you submit an application and provide evidence of the requirements. You can obtain application forms from the local housing allowance office of the city administration.

Those who are resident or ordinarily resident in Germany are entitled to child benefit. Parents receive child benefit for their studying children as long as they are under 25 years old. Child benefit is paid beyond the age of 25 if education is delayed due to basic military service, alternative service or recognised voluntary service (e.g. FSJ). As a rule, child benefit is extended by the duration of the service.

Child benefit is EUR 204 for the first and second child, EUR 210 for the third and EUR 235 for each additional child.

Under certain conditions, child benefit can be paid directly to the children, for example if parents do not meet their maintenance obligation. However, this must be checked in each individual case. The family funds of the "Agentur für Arbeit" are responsible for applying for child benefit.

If you have further questions, please contact the social counselling service of the Studierendenwerk. 

As a rule, students do not receive SGB II benefits or SGB XII benefits for the typical maintenance requirements of their education. Both the SGB II (§ 7 Abs. 5 Satz 1) and the SGB XII (§ 22 Abs. 1 Satz 1) stipulate that students whose education is fundamentally eligible - and these are all regular courses of study - are not entitled to benefits to secure their livelihood. This is based on the idea that the normal maintenance needs of students are to be covered by the social benefit BAföG, if the funds required for education and subsistence are not otherwise available (see § 1 BAföG). 

However, there are exceptions: In cases of particular hardship, benefits can be provided to secure living costs, according to SGB II only as a loan, in SGB XII as (non-repayable) aid or loan. Such hardship cases have so far only been recognised in serious cases of, for example, disability / illness / need for care. Information on the legal criteria for accepting a case of hardship can be obtained from the social counselling service of the Studierendenwerk.

The granting of a loan in cases of hardship is now also possible on a transitional basis for the first month of study. Because one month is often exceeded in practice, an extended transitional application should be made in certain cases.

Non-typical maintenance needs include needs based on special circumstances that are independent of training, in particular disability, illness, pregnancy, child-rearing and care.

The following non-typical training maintenance requirements are additionally financed within the framework of SGB II or SGB XII:

• Additional needs for pregnant women from the 12th week of pregnancy
• Additional needs due to single parenthood
• Increased needs for disabled persons in need of assistance
• Additional requirements for medically necessary costly diet (application to the social welfare office)
• Additional requirements due to severely disabled person's pass G (application to the social welfare office) 

Students who live with their parents and are supported by BAföG have the opportunity to receive additional benefits in accordance with SGB II for the costs of accommodation and heating.

You can obtain advice on the eligibility requirements from the social counselling service or the job centre.