Apply for unemployment benefit2 (ALG II) ☀️ Amount, entitlement & Co. (2024)

Apply for unemployment benefit 2 (ALG II) – amount, entitlement & Co.

Would you like to find out more about unemployment benefit 2, but don't know where to start? We at the Central German Institute for Qualification and Vocational Rehabilitation (MIQR) have put together all the important information about unemployment benefits for you. Here you can find out everything about the amount, duration and entitlement to unemployment benefit 2 (ALG II or Hartz IV).

What is unemployment benefit 2?

Unemployment benefit 2 is a job center benefit that according to Social code is intended for those who, according to verified criteria, need benefits to secure their livelihood and are able to work, but have no job. This means that unemployed people can claim unemployment benefit II. It applies here that the persons are not unemployed are designated who are pursuing a professional activity. Unemployed people are getting closer in Social code, defined as follows:

"Unemployed people are people who are temporarily not employed, as in the case of entitlement to unemployment benefit, are looking for employment that is subject to compulsory insurance and are available for the placement efforts of the Employment Agency and have registered with the Employment Agency as unemployed."

However, this does not mean that every unemployed person is granted ALG 2. Instead, certain conditions must be met for the social benefit to be paid out. We will present these to you in the course of this article and explain what to look out for when applying.

In general, unemployment benefit 2 (Unemployment II) is a social benefit that is financed from tax funds. As part of the benefits to secure subsistence, it is responsible for securing a decent subsistence level. As a result, people who were not employed in an employment relationship subject to social security contributions can also claim the benefit.

More on this topic:

Declare unemployment

Retraining & advanced training at the MIQR

Even if you are already receiving benefits from the employment agency or the job center, you still have the option of receiving additional funding elsewhere. This further funding makes it possible for you to work with us at the Central German Institute for Qualification and Vocational Rehabilitation (MIQR) complete retraining or further training.

Possible measures are:

Retraining:

• VL – commercial preparatory course(with education voucher)
• KBM – retraining to become an office management clerk(with education voucher)
• IK – retraining to become an industrial clerk(with education voucher)
• ubH – assistance with retraining(with education voucher)

Further training & labor market integration:

• KBQ- commercial and business management qualification(with AVGS & education voucher)
• BPW – professional training in the fields of care, storage, housekeeping, security(with AVGS & education voucher)
• E-Com – specialist e-commerce/online trade(with education voucher)
• KMQ- commercial modular qualification(with education voucher)
• ISO - Integration, Training and Orientation(with AVGS)
• IBO – integration and professional optimization(with education voucher)
• GRUKO – acquisition of basic skills(with education voucher)

Work experience & rehabilitation assessment:

• APO – work and potential analysis(with AVGS)
• PAA – Potential and Work Analysis(with AVGS)
• BUS – Counseling, support and psychological stabilization(with AVGS)

German & integration courses:

• MIBO - Migrants in integration and professional optimization(with education voucher)
• MISO – Migrants in Integration, Training and Orientation(with AVGS)

Generally it is possible to take courses with the education voucher or the activation and placement voucher (AVGS) to be completed. This means that the employment agency and the job centers pay for the promotion of retraining and further training measures under certain conditions, so that you do not incur any costs.

Social security contributions & health insurance

If you Servicesin the form of ALG II, the contributions to social security and health insurance are taken over. This means that in this case you do not have to worry about financing your health insurance.

Even if you are not yet receiving benefits from the Employment Agency because you are currently due to a blocking time are excluded, the costs of your health and nursing care insurance will still be covered. exceptions there is a blocking period that is more than 21 weeks per year.

On the other hand, if you no benefitsreceived, the costs for health insurance will not be covered. Then you have to insure yourself voluntarily.

More on this topic:

unemployment benefit 1

Entitlement to unemployment benefit 2 (requirements)

In order to receive unemployment benefit 2, various requirements must be met. Here you will find a brief overview of the requirements that you must meet in order to receive ALG II.

In order to receive unemployment benefit 2, you must first make some Requirements fulfill. This includes that you are in need of help and able to work. This means that the income of your benefit community is below the subsistence level and you cannot make a living from your own means. As a result, your savings will be taken into account and you will first have to use your financial means to make a living. You can only receive unemployment benefit 2 if you no longer have any resources. You are considered to be able to work if you are not prevented from taking up work due to illness or a disability.

In general, you can still receive ALG II if you are at least 15 years old and have not yet reached the age limit for the pension. You must also be a resident of Germany and spend most of the year in Germany. In addition, you must be able to work at least 3 hours per day.

Amount of unemployment benefit 2

The amount of unemployment benefit 2 is based on a standard need and any additional need that may arise. With the standard requirement all costs related to food, clothing, personal hygiene, household effects, household energy and expenses for participation in social and cultural life are covered. Accommodation and heating costs are charged separately.

The additional requirement depends on the special circumstances of the benefit recipient. These include children, disabilities or food intolerances that lead to higher food costs. All of these circumstances have an impact on the amount that you can receive as unemployment benefit 2.

Duration of ALG 2

With unemployment benefit 2 there is a simple regulation and the variations of the Payout Duration are not that big. In general, ALG II is paid out for a maximum of 12 months. Unemployment benefit is only granted for 6 months under certain conditions. These are large fluctuations in your income, being self-employed and the unreasonableness of the cost of your accommodation and heating.

Is a part-time job allowed?

Basically you can Job on a minor basis exercise The prerequisite for this is that you work less than 15 hours per week. You have a monthly allowance of €165, which is not offset against unemployment benefit. If your earnings are above the exempt amount, the difference between your earnings and the exempt amount will be deducted from the amount of your unemployment benefit.

Blocking times

If you have already dealt with the topic of receiving benefits from the employment agency, you will have come across the term “locked time”. Here we would like to explain to you briefly what is meant by this, when a blocking period is imposed and what the consequences of such a blocking period are.

What are curfews?

Under the blocking time is understood to mean a period in which the entitlement to benefits from the employment agency temporarily expires. Blocking periods are the result of behavior contrary to insurance, which has a negative impact on unemployment status or cooperation with the employment agency. Such a time penalty can be imposed for up to twelve weeks in which no benefits are paid. Entitlement to unemployment benefit expires completely if there are blocking periods totaling 21 weeks during the benefit approval period.

When is a lockdown imposed?

Blocking times for unemployment benefit if you, as a recipient of benefits, have behaved in breach of insurance. The suspension period is ultimately imposed as a penalty during which you will not receive any benefits. This behavior contrary to insurance includes a self-inflicted termination of the employment relationship. Blocking periods will also be imposed on you if you willfully prevent the initiation of a new employment relationship or if you make insufficient efforts to find a new job yourself. You must also reckon with blocking times if you reject or discontinue a vocational integration measure. Likewise, a failure to report relevant changes and the late Job Seeker Registration punished.

What are the consequences of a blocking period?

blocking time there will be a penalty that can extend over several weeks. If you have behaved in breach of insurance, your benefits will be completely canceled for a certain period of time. The blocking period can be used individually depending on the severity of the behavior contrary to insurance.

If the contract is canceled through your own fault, you must reckon with a blocking period of 12 weeks. If you turn down a job, refuse or break off a vocational integration measure, you may be blocked for three, six or twelve weeks. Finally, the actual length of the ban will depend on the severity of your case. If you fail to register or register as a job seeker late, you only have to reckon with a blocking period of one week.

At the same time, you also reduce your entitlement to unemployment benefits with the blocking periods that occur. This does not mean that the monthly amount will be lower, but that the entitlement period will decrease. The blocking times and reductions are not transferable. A reduction can be much higher in time than the blocking time.

Application for ALG II

Here's how in a few steps You can apply for unemployment benefit II:

1. Interview at the job center

First, register at your job center and make an appointment to talk about your professional situation. Bring your identity card or an alternative identification document with you to this interview. Your social security card is also required. At the end of the interview, you will finally receive your documents and applications for unemployment benefit 2.

2. fill out documents

You then have to fill out the main application for unemployment benefit 2. In addition, it is necessary that you complete the appendices that match your personal situation. It should be noted that the ALG II will be paid from the month in which you applied for it at the earliest. This means that no retrospective payments will be made.

3. Submit documents to the job center

When submitting your application, it is important that you bring all the required documents with you. In this way, your application can be processed as quickly as possible. This includes the application documents for the ALG II, bank statements for the past 6 months, the rental agreement and proof of heating/ancillary costs and proof of income and assets. You also need a valid ID document for each appointment at the job center in order to identify yourself.

4. get the notice

If all the necessary documents are available and it has been established that you can claim unemployment benefit 2, you will receive notification. This decision shows you the period for which you will receive unemployment benefit 2 and how much financial support you will receive. With the decision, you will receive a detailed overview of the composition of the benefit that you will ultimately receive.

5. Find a new job

So that you no longer have to be dependent on receiving ALG II as quickly as possible, it is worth looking for a new job immediately. You can also rely on the support of the job center for this. Because they will suggest job offers to you and even offer application coaching to improve your chances on the job market.

Application deadlines

There is no general deadline for the application. Because you will only receive the benefit once you have submitted an application. However, you should be on time job seeking or unemployed Report, otherwise you face blocking periods.

Performance-related training

Even if you already receive financial support from the employment agency or the job center, you can still get further funding in the form of further training and placement measures. You have two different options for this, which we would like to briefly present to you here.

AVGS

The abbreviation AVGS stands for Activation and Referral Voucher. This is intended to take measures to remove obstacles to placement so that integration into the labor market can be facilitated. However, it is also possible with the AVGS to hire private job brokers to increase your chances of finding a new job. If you are a recipient of unemployment benefit 2, you have no legal entitlement to the activation and placement voucher. Nevertheless, you can try to apply for an AVGS in consultation with your clerk.

education voucher

The education voucher can be used to conduct advanced training and retraining. There is no legal claim that can be made valid. In general, however, job seekers and the unemployed can be supported with the education voucher. It applies that a need for the education voucher must be recognizable. This includes ending unemployment with the education voucher, averting the threat of unemployment, securing the current job or completing a vocational qualification.

More on this topic:

Apply for an education voucher

Conclusion

Here you have found out what unemployment benefit 2 is, what you are entitled to and what deadlines you have to meet in order to be able to receive ALG II. It is also important that, in addition to unemployment benefits, you can also hope for further funding that will help you in the area of ​​retraining and further education. We from MIQR will be happy to support you with retraining or further training if you receive the appropriate funding from the employment agency or the job center.

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