Hartz IV: Many recipients pay for the heating costs - almost 100,000 affected

Created: 03/15/2022 05:16

By: Markus Hofstetter

Low-income households receive a heating subsidy - not so Hartz VI recipients.

Your heating costs will be covered, but this is often not enough.

Berlin - Many people in Germany are suffering from rising energy costs.

In order to relieve low-income households of at least heating costs, they are to receive a heating cost subsidy in June.

This benefit goes to recipients of housing benefit, students with student loans, recipients of ascent student loans and vocational training grants.

Recipients of housing benefit who live alone receive 135 euros, two-person households 175 euros.

For each additional roommate, another 35 euros are provided.

Affected students, trainees and other beneficiaries receive a flat rate of 115 euros.

Incidentally, the Federal Consumer Association considers these rates to be far too low.

Hartz IV recipients do not receive a heating subsidy of 135 euros © FrankHoermann/SVEN SIMON/imago

Many Hartz IV recipients pay extra for heating costs

Other needy people should not go away empty-handed either.

Recipients of Hartz IV*, basic security and social assistance receive a one-time subsidy of 100 euros.

Children affected by poverty should receive an immediate bonus of 20 euros per month from July 1st. 

The one-off surcharge is intended for Hartz IV recipients to compensate for the additional expenses caused by the Corona* pandemic.

However, they and recipients of social assistance are excluded from the heating subsidy.

This is justified by the fact that their accommodation costs, including the actual heating costs, would be covered*.

However, the rent and ancillary costs must be adjusted to the needs, which means that each resident of an accommodation is entitled to a certain number of square meters.

If this is exceeded, the job center will refuse to take the excess living space into account.

The heating costs are also subject to reasonableness.

This can mean that Hartz IV households are not reimbursed for heating costs under certain conditions.

Almost 100,000 Hartz IV households affected

In order to shed light on this fact, Jessica Tatti started a small request to the federal government.

The spokeswoman for the labor market and social policy for the parliamentary group Die Linke wanted to know how many benefit communities in SGB II were not covered for the full heating costs.

In addition, Tatti asked what the average difference was between the actual heating costs and the heating costs assumed per benefit community.

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The Diakonie is very concerned about the rising prices for energy and food.

Many people are “desperate”, says Diakonie board member Maria Loheide and calls for a clear Hartz IV plus.

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The portal

quotes from the answer of the federal government.

Accordingly, “between November 2020 and October 2021, an average of 95,000 households in SGB II did not receive full heating costs reimbursement”.

For the affected households, "the non-reimbursable part of the heating costs would be an average of 36 euros per month".

Current figures are not available at the moment.

Hartz IV: Left-wing politician demands full payment of heating costs

In view of the rising costs for fuel, electricity and heating, Tatti is now calling on the federal government to take effective steps to relieve middle and lower incomes.

"People on Hartz IV and social assistance must be afraid that the apartment will stay cold and the electricity will be turned off," the politician told

.

You call on the federal government to take over the heating costs in Hartz IV and social assistance in full.

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