“Bürgerhartz” Application for Heating and Additional Costs Refunds for Part-Time Students and some Others!

All students who are not studying full-time (i.e., if you are studying part-time, on a leave of absence (Urlaubssemester), or not studying at all) are advised to apply for a “Bürgerhartz” application if you receive a refund for heating and/or additional costs from your landlord! If you submit a “Bürgerhartz” application in the month of the deadline (i.e., the month in which you must pay the amount), the refund will be added to your general needs (i.e., how much money you should have at your disposal at minimum). You can then receive money from the job center to which you would not be entitled without the refund. Thus, you can use the money from the job center to cover part of the refund and not be responsible for the entire cost. The money is rightfully yours, and you have the right to apply for it. Even an incomplete informal application in the month of the deadline is sufficient; you must then submit the missing documents, as long as the application month is no later than the month in which the refund is due.

Normally, housing assistance (Wohngeld) and “Bürgerhartz” are mutually exclusive, and you can only receive one or the other. However, since a refund for heating and/or additional costs is a “one-time need,” you can also apply for a “Bürgerhartz” application for this one-time expense while receiving housing assistance, to receive money from the job center for the heating cost refund.

Unfortunately, this does not apply to full-time students, as they are generally excluded from “Bürgerhartz.” All others: make a “Bürgerhartz” application no later than the same month as the heating cost refund is due!

We believe this information is incredibly important and urge you to share it! You can find more information here (in German): https://www.tacheles-sozialhilfe.de/aktuelles/archiv/zum-uebernahmeanspruch-auf.html