Basic income support, living allowance, and assistance with living expenses: What you need to know
Many people in Germany do not have enough income to cover their living expenses. In general, living allowance, citizens' allowance, or basic income support are available as social benefits—but what if that is not the case? In such cases, “assistance with living expenses” under SGB XII may apply. But how do savings or assets affect eligibility? And what applies if you receive living allowance, for example? We clarify the most important questions.
Assistance with living expenses supports people with low incomes and no assets.
It is part of social assistance and supplements basic security benefits, but also citizens' allowance.
Assets are checked, but allowances and exceptions apply.
The benefit covers standard needs, accommodation costs, and additional needs.
Adult children and parents with an annual income of 100,000 euros or more may be required to contribute. Other persons with maintenance obligations may always be required to contribute.
Cooperation obligations are important, otherwise there is a risk of reductions or reclamations.
You can also receive assistance with living expenses through the basic security application. With us, you can conveniently fill out and submit your application online.
Start application!Living assistance is a state social benefit that supports people who are permanently or temporarily unable to cover their living expenses from their own resources—for example, due to illness, lack of pension entitlements, or as a child under the age of 15. It is part of social assistance under SGB XII and is aimed at people who are not entitled to citizens' allowance and do not have sufficient income. In addition to assistance with living expenses, social assistance also includes assistance in other situations, such as illness, need for care, reduced earning capacity, or retirement.
Living allowance is a benefit for people on low incomes, but it covers basic needs. It is intended to help with housing costs.
Cost-of-living assistance, on the other hand, covers all living expenses—e.g., food, clothing, electricity, and health costs—if income and assets are insufficient.
It is not possible to receive both benefits at the same time. Those who receive assistance with living expenses have their accommodation costs paid directly by the social welfare office and therefore no longer receive living allowance.
Both basic income support for the elderly and assistance with living expenses are part of social assistance under SGB XII – yet they differ in terms of their target group. Basic income support is aimed at people who have reached the statutory retirement age or who are permanently fully incapacitated for work and whose income and assets are not sufficient to cover their living expenses.
In contrast, citizens' allowance is generally only available to those who are at least partially able to work (they must be able to work more than 3 hours per day) and are below the age limit. Even during an inpatient stay of up to 6 months, for example in a nursing home or hospital, basic security or citizens' allowance continues to be paid.
Assistance with living expenses, on the other hand, applies to people who have reached the
Have not yet reached retirement age
and are not permanently (but temporarily) unable to work, or
are hospitalized for more than 6 months.
In this case, individuals are generally not entitled to citizens' allowance or basic income support—for example, because they are unable to work for health reasons but are not permanently incapacitated for work. Another difference is that, in the case of basic income support and assistance with living expenses, the income of relatives who are obliged to pay maintenance is only taken into account if it exceeds $100,000 per year.
The amount of cost-of-living assistance is based on individual needs and is calculated on the basis of current standard requirements and the actual costs of accommodation and heating. Standard requirements are set nationwide and vary depending on your living situation—for example, whether you live alone, in a shared household, or have children.
In 2025, the monthly standard requirement will be
for single persons at 563 euros and for
couples at 506 euros per person.
In addition, there are reasonable housing costs, which vary depending on the region. If you have certain additional needs—e.g., due to a chronic illness or pregnancy—your entitlement may increase. The social welfare office reviews each application individually to determine how much you are entitled to. Social welfare benefits are intended to ensure that you do not have to live below the legally guaranteed minimum subsistence level.
Tip: In the first year of receiving benefits (the so-called waiting period), the appropriateness is not checked and the full amount of housing costs is paid. After that, approximately 45–50 square meters for one person or 60–65 square meters for two people is considered reasonable. If you move, the job center/social welfare office “may” cover the costs, but check with the authorities beforehand.
You can apply for assistance with living expenses if you
cannot cover your living expenses from your own income or assets,
do not receive benefits under SGB II (citizens' allowance) and
are not permanently fully incapacitated for work or already of retirement age.
Assistance with living expenses is essentially a “backup” benefit if priority social benefits are not available and you cannot cover your needs yourself.
Even if you have no chance of gainful employment for health reasons or because you require care, you may still be entitled to benefits. In both cases—whether basic security or assistance with living expenses—you should have your entitlement carefully checked, as the requirements differ.
You are only eligible if you do not have any “realizable assets.” Certain allowances apply, which are not taken into account. Non-realizable assets include, for example:
A reasonable motor vehicle (e.g., for doctor's visits or shopping)
A residential property for your own use, if it is reasonable
A nest egg in the form of cash assets up to approximately $10,000 per person (depending on your individual situation)
Assets are also not counted if they are not realizable—e.g., life insurance that can only be terminated at a significant loss.
The exact limits depend on your living situation—for example, whether you live alone or with relatives. However, the following generally applies:
You are allowed to have a small amount of savings
Larger investments or real estate (if not used by yourself) must be sold or liquidated before you can claim benefits
The social welfare office will assess on a case-by-case basis whether your existing assets are “reasonably liquidatable.”
The cost-of-living allowance covers all basic daily needs—in other words, what you need to live a dignified life. This includes, in particular, standard requirements for food, clothing, personal hygiene, household electricity, and personal needs. In addition, the social welfare office covers reasonable costs for accommodation and heating, provided that there is no entitlement to living allowance. Additional needs can also be taken into account – for example, for single parents, people with disabilities, or those with special dietary requirements due to illness. In individual cases, one-off social assistance benefits are also granted, e.g., for initial furnishing of the home or clothing. In this way, cost-of-living assistance secures the socio-cultural minimum subsistence level—just like basic income support, but for people who are not yet of retirement age or cannot prove permanent incapacity to work.
In certain cases, the social welfare office can assert maintenance claims against relatives in order to cover all or part of the costs of living assistance. This applies in particular to parents, children, or spouses if they are sufficiently solvent. However, since January 1, 2020, children and parents of benefit recipients are only required to pay maintenance if their gross annual income exceeds €100,000. This provides clarity and protects many relatives from financial hardship. Partners in a marriage-like relationship may also be held liable under certain circumstances.
Tip: The law assumes that a child or parent earns less than €100,000 per year. If you are unsure, leave the question open in the application and say, “I don't think any child or parent earns more than €100,000 per year.”
You submit the application to your local social welfare office. It is important to submit all relevant documents:
Proof of income
Proof of rental costs
Bank statements
Information about your assets
An informal application is sufficient to start with – the office will then ask you to submit any missing documents.
In certain cases, the social welfare office will even check whether you are entitled to assistance with living expenses without an official application – for example, if you are already receiving other social welfare benefits or if an acute emergency becomes known. Nevertheless, it is advisable to actively submit the application in order to avoid delays and receive all benefits on time.
As a recipient of social assistance, you are obliged to cooperate in clarifying your need for assistance. This means, for example, that you must submit documents such as bank statements or rental agreements and attend appointments at the office. If you fail to fulfill your obligations, the social welfare office may reduce your benefits—by up to 30% of the standard rate—or, in serious cases, even stop them altogether. Amounts already paid may also be reclaimed if you have provided false information or withheld important information. Your cooperation is therefore crucial in order not to jeopardize your entitlement to cost-of-living assistance.
You can also receive assistance with living expenses through the basic security application. With us, you can conveniently fill out and submit your application online.
Start application!Living assistance is an important safety net for people who do not receive citizens' allowance or basic income support and whose income is not sufficient to live on. Assets are checked, but there are allowances and exceptions. Anyone who receives living allowance and has a permanently low income should check whether they are entitled to social assistance. This ensures that no one has to live below the subsistence level. Whether you are entitled to basic security benefits or assistance with living expenses depends on your life situation, your income, and your assets—both benefits ensure the subsistence level.
You can ask questions anonymously here which will be answered publicly. Your email address won't be published and is only used to notify you about the answer.
