Starting from July 1, 2023, Germany will change the rules for providing social assistance at employment centers for Ukrainian refugees. In particular, one of the requirements for receiving benefits will be residence at the place of registration. Learn more about how to avoid losing your benefits

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On July 1, Germany introduces new rules for receiving social assistance for Ukrainian refugees through the employment center. This is reported by uahelp.wiki.

What will change for Ukrainians in Germany?

One of the conditions for receiving additional assistance (Bürgergeld) will be the need to permanently reside at the place of residence.

Please note! The obligation to stay near the place of residence does not apply to Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

Exceptions are allowed for absences of no more than 21 days per year. In other cases, a special permit will be required.

It is emphasized that the place of residence must be in the "near zone" of the Jobcenter so that a person can meet with a potential employer, visit the employment center or participate in events without excessive effort and personal expenses.

In particular, the website buerger-geld.org states that a person must be within a 2.5-hour one-way drive (compared to the previous time allocated for a round trip).

In addition, the recipient of the allowance must respond to notifications and requests from the Jobcenter in a timely manner within business days.

In order to justify your absence, you must agree it with the Jobcenter in advance (at least 5 days in advance) and have a good reason. For example: 

• Medical appointments (appointments);

• Church events;

• Important social events;

• Independent job search;

• Voluntary work without a significant impact on the integration process.

For an optional reason, a person may be absent for no more than 21 calendar days per year, if this does not interfere with the integration process. Absence due to a business trip is also allowed.

If a person is unavailable to the employment center or is absent without prior approval, this leads not only to sanctions, but also to a complete loss of the right to receive assistance. 

The right to a standard payment or payment of living expenses and health insurance is also lost. Payments are canceled for days on which the absence of the person can be confirmed.

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Why does Germany impose such strict restrictions on receiving Jobcenter benefits?

The German-Ukrainian Association "Ukrainian Future" commented on the changes.

"Over the past few weeks, we have been hearing more and more about the changes from July 1. The most frequently mentioned are the restrictions on leaving the place of residence and the obligation to be available on Saturdays for the Job Center. We have received an official response from the authorities and are sharing the answer," the organization's Facebook page says.

It is emphasized that the travel ban is a fiction. Refugees have the right to freedom of movement in their free time.

Representatives of the organization explained that no one will require you to visit the employment center on Saturday, and accessibility for the employment center means that you must answer calls, messages and letters within a reasonable time and come to the scheduled meeting if it was offered by your curator (an employee of the employment center in Germany).

The law guarantees two days off per week - Saturday and Sunday, as well as days off on public holidays.

It is also warned that assumptions about the possibility of receiving social benefits when traveling abroad without notification and a mark in the passport are erroneous.

"A request from the border police to the EU's unified border control system is executed in 5 minutes and all information will be made available, if necessary," Ukrainian Future notes.

As it is known, starting from June 1, 2022, Ukrainians received virtually the same social rights as Germans, so their registration with the Jobcenter is regulated by German laws. Any possible changes will affect not only Ukrainians, but also Germans registered with the Jobcenter.

We remind you! Germany is facing a shortage of qualified specialists in various fields. Last year, employers in the country were unable to fill more than 600 thousand vacancies. Read more about who is being sought and for what positions here.

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