Take advantage of debt counseling

Do you have financial difficulties or are you at risk of over-indebtedness? Then debt counseling can help you.

Debt counseling will help you if you find yourself in a financial emergency and can no longer get out of the situation on your own.
These financial emergencies can be

• existing debts, but also
• impending debts, for example if payment obligations have already not been met or upcoming payment obligations cannot be met.

The debt advice centers offer you the opportunity to

• financial,
• psychosocial and
• legal advice.

Debt counseling supports you in reducing the effects of over-indebtedness and creating financial leeway. The aim is for you to be able to pay your rent, energy costs and living expenses independently again.

• First of all, the debt counselor will get a complete overview of your current debt situation.
• You then draw up a plan together.

The offer also includes support in taking the necessary steps and coming to terms with the situation.
Debt counseling also supports you with

• legal issues
• Negotiations with creditors
• Preparation of insolvency proceedings
• Applying for personal insolvency.

Job center or debt counseling center

To the job center or a debt counseling center

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• For debt counseling at a public or private institution:
  • You already have debts or you are facing a financial emergency.
• For debt counseling at the job center:
  • You are being looked after by the Jobcenter,
  • receive citizen's allowance and
  • do not receive unemployment benefit (ALG I).
  • The relevant Jobcenter can check other requirements.

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There are several ways to make use of debt counseling.

Both municipal advice centres and private or non-profit organizations offer debt counselling.

• You make an appointment with the debt counseling center of your choice.
• If the advice center has free appointments, you can go there for debt advice.

Alternatively, you can apply for debt counseling through the Jobcenter.

• The responsible integration officer will check whether the necessary requirements have been met.
• Together with the responsible integration worker, you will discuss the counseling center in question and the scope of the counseling.
• You can then attend debt counseling at the respective counseling center. Alternatively, this debt counseling could also be provided by the Jobcenter itself.

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Advice for recipients of citizen's allowance via the Jobcenter is free of charge.

Debt counseling services provided by non-profit organizations are generally free of charge.

Individual federal states have different regulations for their own advice centers.

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