Benefits for education and participation for children, adolescents and young adults Approval for ongoing receipt of basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity

If you need financial support to take part in school activities, tutoring, meals and transportation, you can receive benefits for education and participation under certain conditions.

You can receive financial support through the education and participation package. This helps you to take part in school activities, meals and transportation. The support is aimed at young adults.

You can receive funding if you are entitled to

• Benefits according to SGB II,
• SGB XII,
• the AsylbLG,
• child allowance (BKGG)
• housing benefit or you
• cannot cover the necessary requirements from your own income and assets or
• those of your family.

Funding is possible under certain conditions for the following areas:

• Excursions and school trips lasting one or more days

Assumption of the actual costs for participation in excursions and school trips lasting one or more days. School trips must take place within the framework of school regulations. The costs are covered in the form of personalized vouchers, direct payments to the service provider or cash benefits.

• Personal school supplies

Funding for personal school supplies, such as writing, arithmetic and drawing materials, sportswear and school bags. The amount of support differs between the first half of the school year and the second half of the school year and is adjusted annually. If you receive benefits according to SGB II, SGB XII or AsylbLG, you are automatically eligible for the grant.

Payment is made automatically as part of these benefits and you do not need to submit a separate application. Only if you do not automatically receive funding for personal school supplies do you need to apply for it. This may be the case for pupils over the age of 15, for example, as a school certificate may be required.

• School transport

If you are dependent on school transport, you can be reimbursed for the actual costs of attending the nearest school of your chosen course of education. The prerequisite for this is that the transportation or the costs are not covered by a third party, such as the school authority. The distance between the place of residence or the school or institution is regulated at state or municipal level and is therefore not eligible for funding, as it does not have to be covered by public transport. Depending on the type of school, there may be differences in the relevant distance (e.g. differences between primary school pupils and secondary school pupils).

• Learning support

Learning support to supplement school lessons in order to achieve the learning objectives. The prerequisite is that there are no comparable school offers or other forms of support, e.g. from the youth welfare office. The costs are covered by personalized vouchers, direct payments to the service provider or cash benefits.

• Lunch at school

If lunchtime meals are provided by the school and eaten communally, the costs can be covered by personalized vouchers, direct payments to the service provider or cash benefits. School lunch must be the responsibility of the school.

The benefits for education and participation are provided by the districts and independent cities as social welfare providers.

• The benefits from the education and participation package are included in the application for basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity
• You will then receive, for example, benefits in kind and services (vouchers), direct payments to service providers and cash benefits
• An exception is the application for learning support. A separate application must be submitted for this.
• Notification of receipt of basic security benefits in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity (SGB XII) (as PDF or in writing)
• Depending on the area of support: Invoices, receipts and other evidence (as PDF or in written form)
• If applicable: School certificate (as PDF or in written form)
• If applicable: Power of attorney if the application is made on behalf of a representative (as a PDF or in writing)

Forms available: Yes

Written form required: No

Informal application possible: Yes

Personal appearance necessary: No

Basic requirements:

• For school pupils and children in day care facilities or child day care who receive benefits in accordance with SGB XII or AsylbLG, there is no age limit for their educational needs to be taken into account.

Excursions and one-day and multi-day trips by schools and daycare centers:

• School trips lasting several days must be within the scope of school regulations.

Personal school supplies:

• Payment is made automatically as part of these benefits and you do not need to submit a separate application for this.
• A school certificate is required for children under the age of 7 or over the age of 15.

School transportation:

• The actual expenses are not covered by third parties (e.g. by the school authority). If only part of the travel costs are covered by third parties, the personal share can be reimbursed.
• The distance between the place of residence and the school/institution is greater than the minimum distance regulated at municipal or state level.
• If state law requirements (nearest school of the chosen course of education) do not play a role in the minimum distance in some cases (regulated, for example, in Section 28 (4) sentence 2 SGB II), a school with a special profile (e.g. a school with a sports or language profile or a Waldorf school) can also be regarded as the "nearest school of the chosen course of education".

Learning support:

• You need an assessment from the school as to whether additional learning support is necessary and suitable to achieve the essential learning objectives set out in accordance with school legislation. If school offers are available, these must be given priority. It does not matter whether promotion is at risk.
• Learning support is offered by a suitable provider or a suitable private person.
• A separate application must be submitted for learning support.

Lunchtime meals:

• Attendance at a school, a daycare center or an after-school care facility.
• Lunch is provided under the responsibility of the school or is agreed in a cooperation agreement between the school and the day care facility.
• The food is served and eaten communally.

Appeal, action for annulment

Further information on how to lodge an appeal can be found in the notification of your application.

• You are already receiving basic benefits for old age and reduced earning capacity (SGB XII).
• You automatically apply for benefits from the education and participation package when you apply for social assistance (benefits for basic security in old age and reduced earning capacity). The only exception is learning support. A separate application must be submitted for this.
• You submit the necessary evidence for benefits for education and participation to your local authority (e.g. social welfare office) or via the online portal.
• The competent authority will check your notification and calculate your requirements.
• The competent authority decides on your needs and informs you of the result.
• If your needs are approved, you will receive a notice of approval; if they are rejected, you will receive a notice of rejection.
• In both cases, the notification will contain the reasons for the decision. It also contains information about the possibility of lodging an appeal against the decision. It will also state the deadline within which you can lodge an appeal.
• If your needs have been approved, the costs will be covered in the form of personalized vouchers, direct payments to the provider or cash benefits, depending on the individual case.

Fee free of charge

Children of recipients of basic income support who are themselves in receipt of "assistance for subsistence (HzL)" benefits must submit a separate "education and participation HzL application" online.