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Apply for unemployment benefit

Service Description

Unemployment benefit is a wage replacement benefit and is intended to partially replace the wages that employees are unable to earn due to unemployment.

You become entitled to unemployment benefit as soon as you meet the requirements for it for the first time.

How long you are entitled to unemployment benefit depends on the length of your insurance period in the last 5 years before you became unemployed and the age you were when you became entitled. You are entitled to at least 6 months of unemployment benefit if you have been in employment subject to compulsory insurance for at least 12 months within the last 30 months. The maximum period of entitlement is

  • for unemployed persons under 50 years of age: 12 months and requires an insurance period of at least 24 months.
  • for unemployed persons over 50: 24 months, provided that the unemployed person has reached the age of 58 and has been insured for at least 48 months.

Your unemployment benefit is generally calculated on the basis of the average gross salary you earned in the last year before you became entitled to unemployment benefit. The amount is

  • 67 percent for unemployed persons with one child,
  • 60 percent for other unemployed persons

of the gross pay reduced by the statutory deductions that usually apply to employees.

While you are receiving unemployment benefit, you are generally covered by statutory health, nursing care and pension insurance. The contributions are paid by the Federal Employment Agency. If you were last exempt from compulsory pension insurance or health and long-term care insurance, the BA can usually pay part of the contributions for private provision.

You are insured against accidents if you receive a special request to visit the Employment Agency or another office while you are receiving benefits.

You must notify any changes (such as illness, vacation, relocation, taking up employment) immediately, preferably online. Alternatively, you can also notify us in writing, by telephone or in person.

Process flow

You can apply for unemployment benefit online or in person.

Apply for unemployment benefit online:

  • To apply online, go to the Federal Employment Agency's "eServices" online portal and click on the "Apply for unemployment benefit" tile.
  • Please note that you must also register as unemployed in this case in order to receive unemployment benefit.
  • The Employment Agency will check your entitlement to unemployment benefit.
  • If your application documents or other reasons do not yet allow a final decision to be made, the Employment Agency can grant you an advance payment on application, provided that you are entitled to benefits on the merits.
  • You will receive a written notification by post about the approval of benefits, stating the amount and duration of your entitlement to unemployment benefit. You can also receive the notification online if you select the corresponding notification option in your online profile.
  • The unemployment benefit will be transferred monthly in arrears free of charge to the account you have specified. This means that the benefit for the current month will be paid out at the end of the month. In the event of financial difficulties, you can apply to deviate from this principle. Ask your agency about this.
  • In exceptional cases, you can have your unemployment benefit paid out by check. You can submit the "payment order for clearing" sent to you by post to your bank for crediting within one month or have the amount paid out in cash to yourself (or a person you have authorized) at any Deutsche Post or Deutsche Postbank payment office. However, this will incur additional costs.

Apply for unemployment benefit in person:

  • To apply in person, contact your local employment agency. You will usually receive the application form and any additional documents (so-called "supplementary sheets") when you register for unemployment in person.
  • The employment agency will check your entitlement to unemployment benefit.
  • If your application documents or other reasons do not yet allow a final decision to be made, the Employment Agency can grant you an advance payment on application, provided that you are entitled to benefits on the merits.
  • You will receive a written notification by post about the approval of benefits, stating the amount and duration of your entitlement to unemployment benefit. You can also receive the notification online if you select the corresponding notification option in your online profile.
  • The unemployment benefit will be transferred monthly in arrears free of charge to the account you have specified. This means that the benefit for the current month will be paid out at the end of the month. In the event of financial difficulties, you can apply to deviate from this principle. Ask your agency about this.
  • In exceptional cases, you can have your unemployment benefit paid out by check. You can submit the "payment order for clearing" sent to you by post to your bank for crediting within one month or have the amount paid out in cash to yourself (or a person you have authorized) at any Deutsche Post or Deutsche Postbank payment office. However, this will incur additional costs.

Requirements

You are entitled to unemployment benefit if

  • you are unemployed, i.e,
    • you are not in employment or
    • you are only in gainful employment for less than 15 hours per week and
    • You are available for the placement efforts of the employment agency. This means that you are able and willing to take up employment subject to compulsory insurance under normal labor market conditions;
  • you are
    • electronically with an electronic proof of identity, e.g. ID card with online ID function, in the eServices portal of the Federal Employment Agency or
    • have registered as unemployed in person at the relevant employment agency. When you register as unemployed in person, you are deemed to have applied for unemployment benefit. An application form must also be completed;
  • you have been subject to compulsory insurance for at least 12 months within the last 30 months before registering as unemployed (the so-called framework period).
    • Periods in which you were subject to compulsory insurance for employment promotion due to the receipt of income replacement benefits, such as sick pay, or - under further conditions - due to the care of a relative or the upbringing of a child, for example, are also taken into account.
    • Periods in which you were subject to compulsory insurance (so-called voluntary continued insurance) can also be taken into account as periods of insurance, for example because you took up self-employment.
    • In special cases, periods in which you performed development service under the Development Workers Act or worked abroad on the basis of a secondment contract are also taken into account.

Which documents are required?

  • Identity card with current registration address
  • Passport/replacement document in conjunction with a current registration certificate
  • For online unemployment registration: ID card with activated and activated online ID function
  • Certificate of employment (to be completed by the employer)

The employment agency may request further documents, for example

  • Letter of termination
  • Declaration of cessation of employment
  • Certificate of receipt of sickness benefit
  • Certificate of additional income
  • Proof (notice of approval, proof of benefits) of previous receipt of benefits (unemployment benefit, also from another employment agency)
  • Proof of contributions (compulsory application for unemployment insurance)

What are the fees?

Fee: free of charge
There are no costs.

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

Unemployment benefit is deemed to have been applied for when you personally register as unemployed if you do not make any other declaration. You avoid disadvantages if

  • you register as unemployed in person on the 1st day of unemployment at the latest,
  • you register as a jobseeker in good time and
  • notify us immediately of any changes in your personal circumstances that occur after you have submitted your application

Objection Deadline: 1 Month
The deadline for lodging an objection and the form in which it can be lodged is specified in the notification in the information on legal remedies. The appeal may be lodged within one month of notification of the decision. If the notification is issued abroad, the appeal period is 3 months.

Processing duration

Processing Time: 0 - 5 Working days
Usually within 5 working days after receipt of the complete documents.

Legal basis

Applications / forms

  • Appeal. Further information on how to lodge an appeal can be found in the notification of your application.
  • Legal action before the social court

Appeal

Forms available: Yes
Written form required: No
Informal application possible: Yes
Personal appearance required: No
Online services available: Yes

Further Information

Author

Forwarding service: Deep link to the original portal

Federal Employment Agency (BA)

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.

Technically approved by

Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS)

Professionally released on

10.06.2022

Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Thüringen (Linie6PLus)

Start your request directly online:

Competent Authority

Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA)

Address
Regensburger Straße 104
90478 Nürnberg
Telephone
+49 911 179-0
Fax
+49 911 179-2123
E-Mail
Contact us
WWW
Website of the Federal Employment Agency

Further Authorities