If you receive subsistence assistance or basic income support for the elderly and those with reduced earning capacity, you may be eligible for one-time benefits in addition to the standard benefit amounts in the following special situations.

You may also receive benefits for one-time needs

• if you do not receive social assistance benefits and
• you are unable to cover the one-time expense yourself.

One-time needs include:

• Initial furnishings for your home, including household appliances, for example:
  • when moving into your own home for the first time
  • after a fire or flood in your home
  • when renting a home for the first time after serving a lengthy prison sentence
  • after moving out of a shared living facility
  • when leaving a women’s or men’s shelter
  • after a separation and the division of household goods
• Initial clothing supplies, for example:
  • after a house fire or flood
  • In the event of total loss or new needs arising from exceptional circumstances. This also includes significant weight loss due to illness
  • After experiencing homelessness
• Initial clothing supplies for pregnancy and childbirth:
• Essential items for a newborn
  • Maternity clothing
  • Purchase of furniture and other items such as a changing table with a pad, a crib with a mattress, a baby bathtub, and a stroller with accessories
• Purchase and repair of orthopedic shoes
• Repair of therapeutic devices and equipment
• Rental of therapeutic devices, for example, assistance with the copayment when costs are covered by health insurance, and in some cases even when health insurance does not cover the costs.

Like all social assistance benefits, one-time benefits require that the recipient be in financial need. If you do not live alone, the income of all household members living together in the same residence is taken into account, provided they manage their finances jointly. This includes, for example:

• Earned income
• Alimony
• Pension income

Child support paid for minors, as well as any child support payments, are attributed to that child to cover their needs.

Certain assets are considered exempt assets and are not taken into account, for example:

• small amounts of cash and financial assets
  • per adult: 10,000 EUR
  • per child: 500.00 EUR
• a reasonable residential property
• a reasonable motor vehicle

These assets are not taken into account as deductions when calculating benefits.

With a few exceptions, you will not receive benefits for past periods.

• A valid ID card or passport; proof of residence, if applicable
• Proof of temporary or permanent total disability
• Proof of income, for example:
  • pension,
  • sick pay,
  • child support,
  • alimony payments, or
  • advance alimony payments
• Proof of assets, such as
  • bank statements
  • Savings
• Rental agreement and subsequent amendments, particularly regarding the rent amount
• Proof of expenses:
  • Rent amount and rent payments
  • Advance payments and statements for utilities and heating costs
  • Documents regarding insurance premiums
• Proof of health and long-term care insurance, specifically:
  • Information regarding health insurance provider and insurance status, or
  • A contract for private health and long-term care insurance

The scope of the required documents—particularly regarding proof of income and assets—depends on the individual case. Your local social services office may request additional documents from you, such as:

• • recent bank statements
  • divorce decrees
  • Asset transfer agreements
  • Alimony orders