BÜRO FÜR

GLEICHSTELLUNGSFRAGEN

On this page you will find the answers to questions about child benefit and child supplement. We also have advice on housing benefit, parental allowance and maternity benefit. In addition, there is advice on the subject of maintenance advance, ALG I/ ALG II and social benefits.

Who gets child benefit and the child benefit supplement?

Every child is entitled to child benefit from birth, regardless of the parents' income. For the first and second child, the standard rate is 184 per month each, the third child receives 190 per month. From the fourth child onwards, each child receives 215.

Where do I have to apply for child benefit?

Students apply for child benefits at the family office (Familienkasse) of the employment agency (Agentur für Arbeit) at their place of residence. You must bring the child's birth certificate with you. Magdeburgers can find more detailed information here

Arbeitsagentur Magdeburg
Familienkasse
Hohepfortestraße 37
39085 Magdeburg
Familienkasse.Magdeburg@arbeitsagentur.de

Employees should also contact the family benefits offices.

Who is entitled to a child benefit supplement?

Under certain circumstances, parents with low incomes can apply for a child benefit supplement in addition to the child allowance. This amounts to a maximum of 140.00 per month and is granted for a maximum of 36 months. The child supplement can be denied if the parents already receive benefits according to SGB II. However, benefits such as housing allowance and child-raising allowance are not taken into account. The child supplement can also be applied for at the family office of the employment office at the respective place of residence.

When and where can I apply for housing benefit?

Housing allowance is a state subsidy for rent and is granted depending on (family) income, number of persons in the household and amount of monthly rent. An application for housing allowance can be made at the housing allowance office or at the responsible citizens' office.

Students who receive BAföG will seldom also be granted housing allowance, since BAföG already includes a subsidy for rent. An application is worthwhile for students who are no longer supported by BAföG and children of student parents who do not receive social benefits.

Since 01. 01. 2005, in the course of Hartz IV, the new Social Code II (basic support for job seekers) and the Social Code XII (social assistance) have come into force. Students (and their children) generally belong to the group of persons covered by SGB II. The job centers are responsible for benefits under SGB II.pr

Sozial- und Wohnungsamt
Wilhelm-Höpfner-Ring 4
39116 Magdeburg
Tel. 0391-5 40 31 44

Jobcenter
Otto-von-Guericke-Straße 12a
39104 Magdeburg
(Gebäudekomplex City Carre)
Tel.: 0391-5 62-17 77

Who is entitled to parental allowance and where do I have to apply for it?

Parents who are resident in Germany and who mainly care for their child themselves are entitled to parental allowance. They must not be employed or work more than 30 hours a week part-time. Parental allowance has been available since 01.01.2007. It is income-dependent and is intended to be paid in lieu of wages. The amount is 67% of the salary earned before the birth. The maximum amount is 1.800 month and the minimum amount is 300 per month. The period of entitlement is 12 months, but can be extended to 14 months under certain conditions (if the other parent also applies for parental leave). The guide at http://www.mein-elterngeld.de/ lists all the important information once again.

For employees, the human resources department is also the appropriate point of contact.

Parental allowance is applied for at the parental allowance office:

Halberstädter Straße 39a
39112 Magdeburg
Phone: 727-3000
Fax: 627-3701 oder -3702
Email: posths@lvwa.sachsen-anhalt.de

The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth has published the guidebook "Elterngeld und Elternzeit".

Who is entitled to maternity benefits?

Female students who are in an employment relationship and in the maternity protection period (i.e. 6 weeks before the birth of the child and 8 weeks after the delivery) are entitled to maternity benefit as a wage replacement payment. Since this is a benefit of the statutory health insurance fund, membership in a statutory health insurance fund is a prerequisite. In the case of premature and multiple births, the period of entitlement is extended to 12 weeks after delivery. The amount of maternity benefit is calculated on the basis of the net income of the last 3 calendar months before the start of the protection period.

Note: Students who are not members of a statutory health insurance fund receive maternity benefits at the expense of the federal government. A corresponding application for maternity benefits must be submitted to the supervising health insurance fund at the beginning of the protection period.

Who receives advance maintenance payments?

A child, if it:

• resides in Germany,
• lives with a single parent,
• does not receive maintenance from the other parent or receives it irregularly, and
• has not reached the age of 12.

How much is the maintenance advance in Saxony-Anhalt?

• for children up to 6 years 133 monthly;
• for older children up to 12 years 180 monthly

How long is the maintenance advance paid?

• a maximum of 72 months
• payment ends at the latest when the child reaches the age of 12, even if a full 72 months have not yet been paid.

Benefits under the Advance Maintenance Payments Act must be applied for in writing. Applications can be obtained from the Youth Welfare Office. Advance maintenance payments do not exclude the child's entitlement to social benefits or social assistance.

Who receives ALG I?

Unemployment benefit I is only paid to those who have already paid into the unemployment insurance scheme and have thus acquired an entitlement. The prerequisite for receiving unemployment benefit I is, among other things, to have already worked subject to compulsory insurance (i.e. regularly for more than 20 hours per week) for at least 12 months within the last 3 years (before or during studies). The Agentur für Arbeit is responsible for unemployment benefit I.

Who is entitled to ALG II and social benefits?

Students cannot receive these benefits due to §7 SGB II if they are eligible for assistance according to BAföG. In cases of particular hardship, assistance to secure subsistence can be granted as a loan according to §7 Para. 2 SGB II. Students can apply for social benefits for their minor children according to § 28 SGB II, if their income (alimony, child benefit, child supplement) does not exceed the requirements according to SGB II. Applications are available at the Jobcenter.

What are additional needs benefits and who is entitled to them?

During pregnancy, the student is entitled to additional needs benefits, regardless of whether she receives benefits under SGB II. The student's income must not be higher than the standard rate according to SGB II, or only slightly higher. Students who are pregnant or caring for a child are entitled to the following benefits:

• Additional needs for pregnant women after the 12th week of pregnancy (§ 21 Abs. 2 SGB II).
• Additional needs for single parents with a child under 7 or 2 children under 16 (§ 21 Abs. 3 SGB II).

Students are also entitled to one-time benefits such as pregnancy clothing, initial child equipment, crib, high chair, etc. (§ 23 Abs. 3 SGB II). An application should be made as soon as possible at the Jobcenter.

Who can be exempted from broadcasting fees? Where do I have to apply for exemption?

Broadcasting fee exemption: Recipients of ALG II can be exempted from the broadcasting fee obligation. Application forms are available from the Social Welfare Office, Caritas or on the Internet (https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/). Applications are processed by the Cologne State Broadcasting Corporation (GEZ). Social tariff for Telekom connections: This is a discount granted by Deutsche Telekom to people in need. The prerequisite is exemption from GEZ broadcasting fees. The application can be made at the local T-Punkt.

Where else can I get support in Magdeburg?

The federal foundation "Mutter und Kind" (Mother and Child) helps parents who find themselves in an emergency situation, i.e. when other social benefits are insufficient or do not arrive in time. It helps with one-time financial aid for everything to do with pregnancy, birth and baby equipment (especially for the child's initial equipment), the continuation of the household, housing and furnishings, and for the care of the infant. Appropriate application forms can be obtained from the local pregnancy counseling center. The application should be submitted as early as possible.

A pregnancy certificate (e.g. maternity passport) must be brought to the pregnancy counseling center. In the case of concrete and vital needs (e.g. for furniture, electrical appliances or help with debts), parents can also turn to the state foundation "Familie in Not".

Stiftung "Familie in Not Land Sachsen-Anhalt"
Halberstädter Straße 39a
39112 Magdeburg