Afraid of extremely high gas back payments? Many do not know that working people could also be entitled to a subsidy from the job center.
Although Germany now has 80 percent full gas storage facilities, and researchers also have 3 optimistic suggestions as to how Germany can get through the winter without Russian gas, gas prices are still going through the roof. According to Check24 , the price increase is already 375 percent compared to 2021. A major burden, especially for low-income earners. But few people are aware that if there are high additional gas payments, working people can also apply for support from the job center – at least that’s what the taz writes. BuzzFeed News DE took a closer look.
Subsidy for the gas back payment – also conceivable for working people
People in Germany are currently facing a “historical challenge”, as Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) described the approaching recession, which is making life in Germany more and more expensive. Because of rising energy prices, some landlords and suppliers are increasing the deductions or sending their customers an annual additional payment that is quite a challenge.
A burden for everyone – but especially for low earners, single parents or part-time workers whose salary is just enough to make ends meet. What many do not know: under certain conditions, working people are also entitled to a subsidy from the job center for gas back payments. This is confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) to BuzzFeed News DE from IPPEN.MEDIA.
“Even people who have not yet received any SGB II benefits can receive support from the job centers if they are affected by additional payments due to increased heating costs,” says a press spokesman for the ministry. This applies to both annual payments and monthly deductions for heating costs. “In each individual case, the job centers check whether the requirements for financial support based on these additional payments are met,” says the BMAS.
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For a subsidy for additional gas payments: fill out the application for benefits under SGB II
One body that checks who is entitled to a subsidy for the gas back payment is, for example, the Hamburg job center – the largest in Germany. “Due to the current price development in the energy sector, we certainly expect that in the event of high additional payments, people who are not normally job center customers may also have a claim here,” says Kerstin Fechner, spokeswoman for the Hamburg job center.
First, however, it is checked individually whether a claim exists. Your own assets also play a role here, how many people live in a community of need, what other income is available, how high the rent is and so on. “For this purpose, a complete application for benefits according to SGB II (in the month in which the additional payment is due) must be submitted – even if ‘only’ the assumption of heating costs is applied for, since the entitlement has to be calculated,” explains Fechner.
Apart from subsidies, saving energy also helps to avoid financial bottlenecks. Here are 11 energy-saving hacks that will keep you from going broke.
Don’t increase discounts – is that legal?
In the taz , energy-saving consultants talk about not increasing the monthly deductions and instead waiting for a higher additional payment. The reason: The job center always looks at what a person needs every month and then decides whether there is a claim. But is that legal? Yes, says the Hamburg job center to BuzzFeed News DE from IPPEN.MEDIA. Legally there is nothing wrong with that.
Fechner’s tip: If people who do not normally receive any benefits feel that they are at their financial limit and could perhaps get a subsidy with the increased energy costs, they should simply fill out an application for unemployment benefit II. In this way, they could have their individual claims checked. If this does not exist with the monthly deductions, you can always try again with an explicit application in the month of the annual additional payment.
