As of: February 7, 2024, 2:33 p.m
By: Amy Walker
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Anyone who receives citizen's benefit or other social benefits even though they are not actually entitled to it must pay the money back.
But only until a certain deadline.
Berlin - Anyone who receives citizen's benefit or other social benefits in Germany must provide a lot of information about their personal economic situation.
This is the only way to ensure that the person receives exactly as much support as the law requires.
But mistakes always happen or life circumstances change, so that sometimes too much money is paid out to a recipient of social benefits.
This money must then be paid back.
However, if the office only notices years later that a person has received too much money, then it is possible that the claims are time-barred.
Table: This is how much money recipients of citizenship benefit now receive
As of January 1, 2024, the standard rate for citizens' money was increased again, by around twelve percent.
These are the new rule sets:
Rule set 2023 |
new rule set from January 1st, 2024 |
increase |
|
|---|---|---|---|
single |
502 euros |
563 euros |
+61 euros |
Couples per partner/communities of need |
451 euros |
506 euros |
+55 euros |
Adults in institutions |
402 euros |
451 euros |
+49 euros |
Young people aged 14 to 17 |
420 euros |
471 euros |
+51 euros |
Child from 6 to 13 years |
348 euros |
390 euros |
+42 euros |
Child from 0 to 5 years |
318 euros |
357 euros |
+39 euros |
In addition, the job center covers costs for accommodation and heating.
Not only the unemployed and their children are entitled to citizen's benefit, but also low-income earners who do not earn enough money to support themselves.
Then there is not the full standard rate, but only a proportion that is determined by the job center.
Statute of limitations: The right to reimbursement expires after four years
With the new Citizens' Money Act, a change affecting reimbursement also came into force.
If the job center finds that it has paid too much, then the money actually has to be paid back.
However, no longer for amounts under 50 euros.
These fall below the so-called trivial limit.
Anything above that must be paid back.
This applies not only to citizen's benefit, but also to housing benefit, child benefit and child allowance.
Anyone who has received social benefits without being entitled to them must pay them back © IMAGO/Michael Bihlmayer
However, if the authority only realizes years later that it has paid too much money to a person, then it can no longer demand the overpaid money back.
Two specific deadlines apply, as
gegen-hartz.de
explains:
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The authority must determine that overpayment has been made within 12 months of the benefit being paid.
The authority then has four years to demand the money back.
So if a citizen's benefit recipient receives too much money in 2023, the authorities must become aware of it within the first calendar year.
If the authorities only notice it in 2025, then it will be too late.
As soon as the office becomes aware of the overpaid benefit, a refund notice must be sent to the person concerned.
This must be done within four years, otherwise the claim for repayment becomes statute-barred.
It is therefore entirely possible that the job center will come around the corner years later and demand repayment.
But only if the refund notice has already been received beforehand.