As of: February 12, 2024, 7:09 p.m
By: Nico Reiter
Comments
Press
Split
Calculating citizen’s allowance can be complex.
A new online tool makes it possible to check your claim yourself so that you don't receive too little.
Bremen – Citizens’ money has replaced Hartz 4 since 2023.
Nevertheless, it is not yet clear to everyone what parts the amount ultimately consists of.
Various aspects of the applicants' living circumstances are taken into account.
In addition, there are specific conditions for a claim for additional needs.
In order to keep track, an online calculator is now available with which you can easily calculate the amount received yourself.
In February you have to be patient until the payment is made.
Citizens' money as a replacement for Hartz 4: Securing livelihoods for job seekers
Citizens' money serves to provide basic security for people looking for work.
It can only be claimed when other social benefits such as unemployment benefit 1 and housing benefit are no longer paid out.
Even employees with low incomes are entitled to citizen's benefit.
Recipients can use the online calculator to check whether they are receiving too little citizen's benefit © Westend61/Imago
According to the Federal Employment Agency, applicants must meet certain criteria.
This includes living in Germany, being between 15 and retirement age and being able to work at least 3 hours a day.
In addition, the person applying or a member of their community of need must be in need of help.
This means that the income is below the subsistence level and cannot finance one's own living expenses.
Since January 2024, the standard rate for single and adult recipients of citizen's benefit has been 563 euros per month, as can be seen on the federal government's website.
Couples receive 506 euros each.
Children can also receive citizen's benefit, between 451 and 357 euros, depending on their age.
In addition, there is a child supplement of 20 euros per month until basic child protection is introduced.
Who is entitled to how much citizen's benefit?
– Online calculator helps
The website
gegen-hartz.de
offers a citizen's allowance calculator with which you can calculate in just a few clicks how much money you are entitled to.
The calculation consists of several parts.
These include: age, living situation, rent and additional costs, heating costs, type of heating, pregnancy, reduced ability to work, illnesses, income and children.
There is an additional requirement for pregnant women, single parents, disabled people, illness-related nutrition, hardship cases and households with decentralized hot water generation.
My news
Change in the general inspection: Drivers will soon have to dig deeper into their pockets
This will change with TÜV 2024: sticker, costs and deadline reading
No access to the inheritance: Postbank does not release the account
Germany switches off DSL Internet – when will my connection be shut down? read
Owners groan under property tax: 103 municipalities increased assessment rates in 2023read
Bakery sells them for 2.30 euros: “Brother, what kind of butter pretzel is that?” read
Single person with housing costs of 600 euros |
Monthly citizen's allowance |
without child |
1163 euros |
with a 10 year old child |
1620.56 euros |
with 10-year-old child, reduced ability to work |
1817.61 euros |
According to the calculator, for a single person with no children and no additional needs, with a basic rent of 500 euros and heating costs of 100 euros, this results in an amount of 1,163 euros in citizen's benefit.
However, if, for example, there is a 10-year-old child for whom no maintenance or child benefit is received, the entitlement increases to 1,620.56 euros.
If the parent is only able to work to a limited extent, the citizen's allowance increases to 1,817.61 euros.
Error in calculating citizen’s allowance – recalculation recommended
“Because when dealing with authorities and especially with the job center, the following applies: trust is good, control is better,” under this motto the website makes the calculator available for checking.
According to
anwalt.de
, it can happen that entire applications or claims for additional requirements are rejected due to missing documents.
This can be prevented by submitting the documents later.
In addition, general errors in the calculation may occur due to overloading.
Since the system is very complex, it can happen that information is overlooked and an incorrect amount is determined.
To prevent losses, you can simply use the online calculator to check the correctness of the amount you have received.
However, it can also happen that too much is paid.
If people have received more citizen's money than they are entitled to, they must pay it back.
However, if it is only determined after four years or more that overpayment has been made, the right to reimbursement expires.
(No)
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.