Applying for help with household chores

If you are temporarily unable to continue running your household due to illness or other circumstances, and no other person in the household is able to do so, you can apply for help to continue the household.

If you are temporarily unable to continue running your household due to an emergency situation – whether due to illness, imprisonment, recuperation measures or even after a death – and no other person in the household is able to do so, you can apply for help to continue the household from the social assistance institution responsible for you. You can receive the help if it is necessary and sensible to continue running the household, for example because you have children to look after.

You can receive support for all activities that you are no longer able to cope with, at least partially, as part of your budget continuation. This includes housework as well as personal care for children and other family members living in the household.

Household maintenance assistance is a social benefit based on your income and assets. It will only be provided if you do not receive the required benefit from others or from other social welfare institutions, such as benefits from the statutory health insurance fund, assistance with care or education.

As a rule, the help for the continuation of the household is only intended to support you temporarily. You can therefore only apply for it for a transitional period. This restriction does not apply if the assistance makes it possible to avoid or postpone placement in an inpatient facility.

Please contact the social welfare office of the local social welfare institution.

The required evidence largely corresponds to that which is necessary for the decision to grant assistance under SGB XII (including assistance for subsistence). In practice, therefore, a fully completed and signed application for social assistance must be submitted as a rule - if only because of the means test and subordination test - with explanations of the special benefit requirements and the financial situation.  

• informal application is possible
• Forms can be requested from the competent authority under the respective state law or are already stored on the homepage
   

• Neither you, as the person in charge of the household, nor any other person in the household can continue to run it due to a temporary emergency.
• It is necessary and sensible to continue the household, for example because you are looking after minor, school-age children.
• You are dependent on the support because you cannot finance the help in the household yourself.
• The help is only temporary. This restriction does not apply if the assistance allows you to avoid or postpone placement in an inpatient facility.

• Contradiction
  You can lodge an objection against the decision within one month of its notification.
• Complaint
  You can lodge an appeal against the notice of objection with the competent social court within one month of its notification.

Ideally, the first step is to notify the competent authority of the need for assistance informally.

A fully completed social assistance application can be submitted promptly.

Since the competent authority can only grant assistance from the moment it learns of the applicant's need for assistance, the need for assistance should be reported as soon as possible. This notification can be made in writing, by telephone or in person.

After the application has been examined and, if necessary, further comments have been obtained, the applicant will receive a final decision from the competent authority.

If the application is approved, the persons who are now in charge of the household can have their expenses reimbursed. In the case of a longer assignment, the assumption of contributions for an adequate retirement provision may also be considered. If people from the household or people close to you are not available, professional staff can also provide support. Alternatively, household members can also be temporarily accommodated as inpatients.
 

This assistance starts as soon as the competent authority or a body authorised by it becomes aware that the conditions for the benefit are met.  

A decision on the application will be taken immediately. The processing time depends, among other things, on the completeness of the information and the submission of the supporting documents required for the processing of the application.

There are no costs.: Fee free of charge