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Services for refugees

As an asylum seeker, you will initially receive benefits in accordance with your residence status under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act (AsylbLG) or the Social Code (namely SGB II or SGB XII) and may receive further assistance in due course, such as benefits for families.

If you are entitled to SGB II, you may not receive the full amount as a cash benefit if you are still living in shared accommodation and there is no possibility of using a kitchen there. In this case, you can receive the standard replacement portion, which is intended for food and household energy, as a benefit in kind, i.e. you will receive meals.

After a sufficiently long period of employment subject to social insurance contributions, you are also temporarily entitled to unemployment benefit I. If you take up training or studies, the relevant funding conditions apply.

For refugees who have not applied for asylum, their entitlement to benefits is determined either

  • solely according to their nationality and length of stay in Germany or
  • according to separate provisions in accordance with the reception programs (e.g. federal or state programs) or guidelines (e.g. for refugees from Ukraine) through which they entered Germany.

Family benefits do not count as social benefits. This makes it easier for you to finance your own life. If you receive citizen's allowance or social assistance, family benefits are offset against this according to certain rules.

This means that you probably won't end up with any more money. You are still obliged to apply for child benefit, for example. The receipt of family benefits is not detrimental to a possible later naturalization.

You are entitled to family benefits from the time your recognition becomes legally binding, i.e. when the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) issues a positive decision.

They are entitled to these family benefits:

  • with entitlement to asylum
  • with refugee recognition
  • with international protection status

The following are considered family benefits:

  • Child benefit
  • child supplement
  • Advance on maintenance payments
  • Parental allowance

If you are entitled to national protection, you will only receive these benefits if you have been living and working in Germany for 3 years, have an employment contract and are on parental leave after the birth of a child or receive SGB III benefits.

Important: Child benefit is not paid retroactively up to the time of your arrival in Germany. However, you can submit the application if you have already been in the federal state for 6 months and your asylum application has not yet been recognized. You will submit a copy of the notice of recognition in due course.

Family benefits with tolerated stay

You are generally excluded from family benefits if you have a tolerated stay permit. There are exceptions when receiving child benefit and parental allowance.

In most cases, child benefit is only paid to people with tolerated status if the applicant has a job that is subject to social insurance contributions or is at least entitled to unemployment benefit I benefits.

In most cases, parental allowance is only paid to people with tolerated status if the applicant comes from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia or Turkey, is gainfully employed and has at least accident insurance through their employment.

receive benefits in accordance with the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act (AsylbLG):

  • Refugees who have applied for asylum until the decision on the application is made.
  • Refugees whose asylum application has been approved until the end of the month in which the decision was issued by the BAMF.
  • Refugees whose asylum application has been rejected and who have been granted tolerated stay until they leave the country.
  • Refugees from safe countries of origin for the duration of the asylum procedure and, if the decision is negative, until they leave the country.

In Jena, you can apply for benefits under the AsylbLG from the Refugee Affairs & Transition Homes team.

Citizen's allowance in accordance with SGB II:

  • Refugees whose asylum application has been approved from the following month.
  • Refugees from safe countries of origin whose asylum application has been approved, from the following month.
  • Refugees with a positive asylum decision who have lost their employment and are no longer entitled to unemployment benefit I benefits.

In Jena, you can apply for citizen's allowance from jenarbeit.

Refugees who are unable to work due to old age or illness (including those from safe countries of origin) and whose asylum application has been approved receive basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity in accordance with SGB XII from the following month.

People are considered unfit for work if they are unable to work for at least 3 hours a day for health reasons.

In Jena, you can apply for basic income support (social assistance) from the Social Services Department.

receive unemployment benefit I in accordance with SGB III:

  • Refugees who have acquired a temporary entitlement through prolonged employment after receiving a positive asylum decision.
  • Refugees with tolerated status who have acquired a temporary entitlement through prolonged employment.

In Jena, you can apply for unemployment benefit I at the Employment Agency.

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