Purpose
Bürgergeld under SGB II is the subsistence security for persons capable of work who are entitled to benefits. The claim depends on five main requirements (§ 7 para. 1 SGB II), is calculated horizontally within the community of need (§ 7 para. 3 SGB II) and is reduced by income / assets (§§ 11, 12 SGB II). This skill reviews the claim process step by step and makes gaps visible.
Inputs
- Applicant: age, nationality, habitual residence
- Household composition (partner, children with age, other co-residents)
- Capacity for work (health restrictions?)
- Income of all BG members (gross / net, source, frequency)
- Assets (account, overnight deposit, securities, car, real estate, insurance policies)
- Housing situation (ownership / rent, cold rent, ancillary costs, heating, living space, location)
- Special needs (pregnancy, single parenting, employment, disability, costly diet)
- Previous sanctions / reductions in benefits, integration agreement
Sub-agent architecture
Researcher supplies SGB II norms, Bürgergeld reform materials (grace period, protected assets) and BSG case law on community of need / KdU / income. Drafter prepares a structured claim review including benefit calculation. Reviewer checks deadlines, duties to cooperate and completeness.
Procedure
1. Personal claim requirements (§ 7 para. 1 SGB II)
| Requirement | Norm | Review points |
|---|---|---|
| Completion of 15th year of life, age limit under § 7a SGB II not reached | § 7 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 1 | Date of birth, standard retirement age § 7a |
| Capacity for work | § 7 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 2 in conjunction with § 8 SGB II | Able to work at least 3 hours daily on the general labour market |
| Neediness | § 7 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 3 in conjunction with § 9 SGB II | Need > income + assets to be used within reason |
| Habitual residence in DE | § 7 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 4 in conjunction with § 30 SGB I | Centre of life, permanent residence |
| No exclusion | § 7 para. 1 sentence 2 et seq. | In particular § 7 para. 1 sentence 2 no. 2 (Union citizens without a right of residence for the purpose of seeking work) |
2. Community of need (§ 7 para. 3 SGB II)
BG members (conclusive list):
- persons capable of work who are entitled to benefits
- partners (marriage, registered civil partnership, responsibility/support community § 7 para. 3 no. 3 lit. c)
- unmarried children under 25 in the parents' household, insofar as they cannot cover their own needs
- Parents of an unmarried child under 15 (social benefit case)
Attention mixed households: § 27 SGB XII or § 19 SGB II — separation required if a member is not capable of working or is excluded from citizen's benefit.
3. Needs calculation
Total needs of the community of need (§ 19 SGB II):
| Need | Standard | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Standard need | § 20 SGB II | Standard need levels 1–6 (RBEG); annual adjustment. Check status. |
| Additional need | § 21 SGB II | Expectant mothers, single parents, disability with § 49 SGB IX benefit, costly nutrition |
| Costs of accommodation & heating | § 22 SGB II | Actual expenses, insofar as reasonable |
| One-time needs | § 24 SGB II | Initial equipment for apartment, clothing, pregnancy, class trips |
Grace period § 22 para. 1 sentence 2 SGB II: In the 1st year, actual KdU are recognized; thereafter reasonableness according to a coherent concept (BSG, judgment of 22.09.2009 – B 4 AS 18/09 R [unverifiziert – prüfen]).
4. Countable income (§§ 11–11b SGB II)
- Gross income of all members of the community of need
- Deductions under § 11b SGB II (taxes, social insurance contributions, standard work-related expenses allowance, insurance flat rate 30 EUR, Riester, motor vehicle liability, special child benefit rule § 11 para. 1 sentence 5)
- Employment allowance § 11b para. 3 SGB II: 100 EUR basic allowance plus graduated allowance (20 % / 30 % / 10 %).
- Not countable under § 11a SGB II: certain earmarked income, compensation for pain and suffering, selected expense allowances.
5. Assets (§ 12 SGB II, § 12a SGB II)
Grace period § 12 para. 3 SGB II (Citizen's Benefit reform 2023):
- In the 1st year, assets are disregarded up to the "significance threshold" (40,000 EUR for the main person + 15,000 EUR for each additional member of the community of need)
- After the grace period: protected amount 15,000 EUR per member of the community of need
- Protected assets § 12 para. 1 SGB II: reasonable household goods, reasonable motor vehicle per member of the community of need capable of working (rule of thumb: up to 15,000 EUR market value
[unverifiziert – prüfen aktuelle BSG-Linie]), self-used reasonable real property, retirement provision under § 12 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 3, 4 SGB II - § 12a SGB II: use of priority benefits (housing benefit, child supplement, advance maintenance)
6. Benefit reduction / sanctions (§§ 31, 31a, 31b SGB II)
According to BVerfG, judgment of 05.11.2019 – 1 BvL 7/16, BVerfGE 152, 68 (sanctions judgment) and the Citizen's Benefit reform:
- Breaches of duty § 31 SGB II: refusal of reasonable work / measure, breach of duty under the cooperation plan
- Benefit reduction graduated: 10 % / 20 % / 30 % (§ 31a SGB II), maximum 30 % for multiple breaches of duty
- Hardship case § 31a para. 5 SGB II
- Failure to report § 32 SGB II: 10 % for 1 month
7. Legal consequence — concrete calculation of needs
| Step | Content |
|---|---|
| 1 | Total needs of the needs community (Σ standard needs + additional needs + costs of accommodation and heating) |
| 2 | less income to be taken into account (horizontal distribution Section 9(2) SGB II) |
| 3 | less assets to be applied |
| 4 | = monthly benefit entitlement |
If the need for assistance is < EUR 0 → no entitlement.
8. Cooperation and application
- Section 37 SGB II: requirement of an application; an application takes effect retroactively to the 1st of the month
- Section 60 SGB I: provision of facts; submission of certificates
- Award period Section 41 SGB II (as a rule 12 months)
Sources and citation style
Binding: ../../references/zitierweise.md.
Statutes
- Section 7 SGB II, § 8, § 9, § 11, Section 11a, Section 11b, § 12, § 19, § 20, § 21, § 22, Sections 31 et seq., § 37, § 41 SGB II
- Section 60 SGB I; Section 66 SGB I
Commentaries
- Knickrehm/Hahn, in: Kassler Kommentar Sozialversicherungsrecht, as of 2024, Section 7 SGB II marginal no. … (needs community)
- Geiger, in: LPK-SGB II, 8th ed. 2024, Section 22 marginal no. … (costs of accommodation, grace period)
- Söhngen, in: jurisPK-SGB II, 6th ed. 2023, Section 12 marginal no. … (assets after the Bürgergeld reform)
- Aubel, in: BeckOK SozR, Section 11 SGB II marginal no. … (income to be taken into account)
Case law ([unverifiziert – prüfen in juris / SozR])
- BVerfG, judgment of 05.11.2019 – 1 BvL 7/16, BVerfGE 152, 68 (sanctions regime SGB II)
- BSG, judgment of 22.09.2009 – B 4 AS 18/09 R, BSGE 104, 192 (coherent concept for costs of accommodation and heating)
- BSG, judgment of 11.07.2019 – B 14 AS 44/18 R (needs community / community of responsibility)
- BSG, judgment of 12.10.2016 – B 4 AS 60/15 R (asset protection for appropriate motor vehicle)
Output format
PRÜFUNG BÜRGERGELD-ANSPRUCH — <Mandantin/Mandant, anonymisiert>
Stand: <Datum> — Risikoeinstufung: 🟢/🟡/🔴
A. Sachverhalt (anonymisiert)
<…>
B. Anspruchsprüfung § 7 SGB II
1. Vollendung 15. Lj. / Altersgrenze § 7a — ✅/⚠️/❌
2. Erwerbsfähigkeit § 8 — ✅/⚠️/❌
3. Hilfebedürftigkeit § 9 — (siehe Berechnung E)
4. Gewöhnlicher Aufenthalt — ✅/⚠️/❌
5. Kein Ausschluss § 7 Abs. 1 S. 2 — ✅/⚠️/❌
C. Bedarfsgemeinschaft § 7 Abs. 3
Mitglieder: <…>
D. Bedarf
Regelbedarf: <…> EUR
Mehrbedarf § 21: <…> EUR
KdU § 22: <…> EUR (Karenzzeit ja/nein)
Summe Bedarf: <…> EUR
E. Einkommen / Vermögen
Anrechenbares Einkommen: <…> EUR (Berechnung § 11b)
Vermögen: <…> EUR (Schonbetrag § 12 / Karenzzeit § 12 Abs. 3)
F. Leistungsanspruch
Bedarf − Einkommen − einsetzbares Vermögen = <…> EUR/Monat
⇒ Anspruch besteht / besteht nicht / besteht teilweise
G. Verfahrenshinweise
- Antrag § 37 SGB II beim örtlich zuständigen Jobcenter
- Mitwirkung § 60 SGB I
- Bewilligungszeitraum § 41 SGB II
- Ggf. vorrangige Leistungen § 12a (Wohngeld / Kinderzuschlag)
H. Risiken / offene Punkte
- <…>
I. Quellenverzeichnis
<Statute / Kommentare / Rechtsprechung mit Markern>
Examples
Example (abridged excerpt, legal-opinion style)
A. is 38 years old, a German national, capable of working within the meaning of Section 8 SGB II. She lives with her partner B. (EUR 1,450 net from dependent employment) and two joint children (aged 10 and 14) in a 90 m² rented apartment (gross cold rent EUR 900, heating EUR 110).
I. Personal requirements. Under Section 7(1) sentence 1 no. 1 SGB II, A. is between the completion of her 15th year and the age limit under Section 7a. Capacity to work (Section 8 SGB II) exists — no health restrictions have been submitted. Habitual residence (Section 30 SGB I) in the federal territory. Grounds for exclusion under Section 7(1) sentence 2 SGB II are not apparent.
II. Needs community. B. is a partner within the meaning of Section 7(3) no. 3 lit. a SGB II; the children fall under Section 7(3) no. 4 SGB II.
III. Needs. Standard needs level 2 for A. and B. (… each) plus the children's standard needs (levels 4 and 5, … each); costs of accommodation and heating under Section 22(1) SGB II are recognized during the grace period (Section 22(1) sentence 2 SGB II) at their actual amount.
IV. Income. From B.'s employment, the basic allowance of EUR 100 and the graduated allowance (20% up to EUR 1,000, 30% up to EUR 1,200) are to be deducted under Section 11b SGB II …
V. Result. There is presumably (risk 🟡 due to pending asset review of call money account) a proportional Bürgergeld entitlement …
Risks / typical mistakes
- Grace period confused: Section 22 (accommodation) and Section 12(3) (assets) each have their own 1-year grace-period rules. Check whether this is the first approval period.
- Community of need stretched too far: Shared flats, residential-purpose communities and care arrangements are not a community of need. Check the indications under Section 7(3a) SGB II.
- Sanctions regime outdated: Pre-Bürgergeld reform rates (60%, 100%) are no longer applicable. Maximum 30% (Section 31a SGB II) under the Federal Constitutional Court's requirement.
- Child benefit offsetting: Section 11(1) sentence 5 SGB II — child benefit is income of the child insofar as it is needed there to cover needs.
- Section 12a SGB II overlooked: Housing benefit, child supplement and maintenance advance are priority. The Jobcenter regularly points this out (reimbursement obligation).
- Duty to cooperate ignored: Section 60 SGB I — missing documents can lead to refusal (Section 66 SGB I).