Benefits and Social Payments in Germany
Germany has a system of social benefits and payments that supports people in different life situations: if you lose your job, have a low income, have children in your family, or have a special residence status. On this page, you will find a short overview of the main types of benefits and links to detailed articles on each topic.
Social Support in Germany
Germany is a social state. This means the government provides support for people who need help, either temporarily or for a long time. Social payments help to make sure people have a minimum standard of living, and support families with children, people who have lost their jobs, pensioners, and other groups.
The social support system includes different types of benefits, tax reductions and help programmes. These are paid for by taxes and mandatory contributions to social funds.
Benefits Table in Germany: Amounts of Social Benefits
There are many social payments in Germany. They are designed to help people in different situations: if you lose your job, have a baby, have a low income, have a disability or other circumstances. The table below shows the main types of benefits and their amounts for 1 January 2026.
| Bürgergeld People without work or with a low income | from 357.00 to 563.00 € per month + housing and heating |
|---|---|
| Sozialhilfe People who cannot work and have a low income | from 357.00 to 563.00 € per month + housing and heating |
| Arbeitslosengeld People who lost their job and paid unemployment insurance | 60–67% of your previous net salary |
| Kindergeld Families with children | 259.00 € per month per child |
| Kinderzuschlag Families with low income | up to 297.00 € per month per child |
| Elterngeld Parents after the birth of a child | 300.00-1,800.00 € per month |
| Wohngeld People and families with low income | depends on your income and rent costs |
| Asylbewerberleistungen Asylum seekers | from 309.00 to 455.00 € per month + housing |
The table shows only the main and most common benefits. There are many more payments, supplements, and tax reductions in Germany. You can find detailed information about them on separate pages in this section.
The minimum standard of living in Germany, called the basic standard (Regelbedarf) for Bürgergeld and social assistance, is 563.00 euros per month for one adult living alone, or 6,756.00 euros per year (not including housing and heating).
Main Pages about Social Benefits in Germany
This page gives a general overview of the social benefits system in Germany. You can find more details about specific benefits, who can get them, and how much is paid on the separate pages in this section.
Social Assistance in Germany
- What is Sozialhilfe?
- Who can get social assistance?
- Types of social assistance
- Amount of social payments
- How to apply for social assistance
Unemployment Benefits in Germany
- What is unemployment?
- Main unemployment benefits
- Benefits table for unemployed people
- Arbeitslosengeld
Benefits and Payments for Families with Children in Germany
- Support for families
- Benefits for families with children
- Who can get family benefits?
- How to apply for parent and child benefits
- Child benefit Kindergeld
Benefits for Refugees in Germany
- Types of benefits for refugees
- Payments for refugees
- Bürgergeld for refugees
- Help for refugees to find work
- Frequently asked questions about benefits for refugees
Author team finanz-handbuch.de
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