Hartz IV: Rapidly increasing heating costs - what the job center takes over, what is important

Created: 02/11/2022 13:22

The next heating bill is worrying many Germans.

(Iconic image) © Jens Büttner/dpa

The next heating bill is likely to be painful for many.

This is especially true for Hartz IV recipients.

What the job center takes on, what is important.

Berlin – Four out of five citizens are worried about the next heating bill* due to rising energy prices.

This is the result of a representative survey by the market research institute Innofact on behalf of the comparison portal Verivox.

Heating allowance: exception for Hartz IV recipients

When asked whether they were worried, 34 percent of the participants answered: "Yes, very much." Another 46 percent answered: "Yes, a little." The remaining 20 percent said they were not worried at all or not at all, as Verivox announced on Friday in Heidelberg.

For this reason, households with low incomes and many students and trainees are to receive a one-time subsidy for heating costs in the summer, according to the will of the federal government.

Hartz IV* recipients get nothing.

Their rent and heating costs are covered anyway with the basic security, they say.

It is not that simple.

Hartz IV recipients: Are the heating costs reasonable?

The job center only covers the heating costs if they are reasonable.

There are no fixed values ​​for this, but they are usually based on the nationwide heating level.

The individual situation of the Hartz IV recipient, such as their living situation, must also be taken into account.

If the bill then turns out to be higher than stated in the heating index or if the landlord demands an additional payment for heating costs, this can mean trouble.

After all, the job center cannot simply reject the heating bill if it finds it inappropriate.

The Federal Social Court (BSG) in Kassel, for example, ruled that a prior cost-cutting procedure is “not dispensable” for the refusal to assume unreasonable accommodation or heating costs.

That means: The authority must not simply cut the money and let Hartz IV recipients sit on the bills.

However, it can demand that those affected reduce their heating costs – usually within a period of six months.

The job center must inform them of this in writing.

Heating costs: Special rules for unrenovated buildings

And even then, Hartz IV recipients can object again and justify the higher costs.

For example, because they live in an unrenovated apartment.

If this argument is rejected and the heating costs are still higher than the mirror, the job center will only pay the reasonable costs*.

The person concerned must then pay for the remaining amount.

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