Social Benefits

The Jobcenter can provide you support if you live in Germany and do not have enough money to care for yourself and your family. Under certain conditions, the Jobcenter helps people who have never worked in Germany, those who have been unemployed for more than a year and individuals who earn little despite working. If you are in one of these groups, you can seek financial support for yourself and your family from the Jobcenter. Such support is called  „Citizen’s Allowance“ or„Bürgergeld”. It is the successor of the "Arbeitslosengeld II", which was also known as "Hartz IV". The Jobcenter staff will also help you look for a job. Jobcenter can also take over the costs for German courses or further training programmes if it can help you find a job.

People who stop working because of their age are called retirees or “Rentner*innen.” When people are older, they no longer have to go to work; instead, they receive a monthly pension. These individuals are called "pensioners." The current retirement age in Germany is 67. 

Many are worried that they will not have enough money as they go into retirement. Poverty among pensioners is, in fact, a growing problem in Germany, in particular, for those who did not earn much during their working years. It is, therefore, all the more essential to deal with the issue of pension early on and before reaching retirement age. Here, we explain how the statutory pension system works in Germany and what other pension options there are.

Germany has an efficient social security system which covers those who are insured against unemployment, illness, long-term health issues, occupational accidents and old age. In Germany, insurance regulations are set by the state. The benefits are paid (according to the regulations) by the so-called "Sozialversicherungsträgern" or social insurance providers, i.e. the health insurance companies, the trade associations, the Employment Office ("Arbeitsamt") and the German Pension Insurance ("Rentenversicherung").