Problems with Hartz IV: 10 Tips for dealing with the ARGE

Hartz IV recipients do not have it light: You have to endure all sorts of sanctions from the employment agency. What to do if it Problems with the consortium there?

Regulations

The regulations for unemployment benefit II recipients are narrowly defined: 351 euros unemployment benefit II plus Money for the appartment; Income and assets are taken into account with the exception of small allowances.

And violations of the legal requirements threaten sanctions. Nevertheless, there is room for maneuver, if there are any problems with the competent ARGE.

What obligations do Hartz IV recipients have?

The books on the subject (advertising)

Those who receive unemployment benefit II have certain obligations: they must disclose assets and income, hold regular appointments with the employment agency and, if necessary, take part in further education.

It is also a must to keep repeating yourself apply and to accept any reasonable employment that is offered to one. If you don't follow the rules of the game, you have to count on blocking times and cuts up to and including the total cancellation of unemployment benefits. On the other hand, you can have further training such as an English course or driver's license financed by the ARGE.

If there are problems: 10 tips

However, although all of this is documented in detail in the terms of the integration agreements, there are always problems - as in the case of an unemployment benefit II beneficiary, who has been offered a job as a janitor in a school.

However, at that time you were lying with a leg fracture in the hospital and only learned about the offer after your release. However, she had already cut the unemployment allowance II by 30 percent because she had not accepted the job. What is to be done in such a case?

1. The rule set is shortened: Unemployment benefit II is reduced by at least 30 percent for each violation of the rules. Accommodation costs can also be reduced. Objections to this can be lodged in writing – for example due to formal errors or because a decision was unfair. You don’t need a lawyer for this: the objection can be made informally, all that is required in addition to your name and date is a short sentence: “I hereby object to…”. The opposition office of the ARGE must then react to this. That makes perfect sense because it allows another clerk to look at the process again.
2. The housing costs are not fully paid: In addition to unemployment benefit II, the costs for the apartment are also covered by the ARGE. But the apartment must not be too big and, above all, not too expensive. How much the rent can ultimately be varies depending on where you live and depends on the local rentspiegel from. As a guideline, 45 square meters or 280 euros cold rent are allowed for one person. Anyone who needs more space or who lives more expensively has to prove to the ARGE by means of comparison offers that they cannot find cheaper living space on site. Then the consortium must provide counter-evidence. Because: Basically, an ALG II recipient cannot simply be forced to move from their familiar surroundings to another city.
3. The income is credited incorrectly: The unemployment allowance II is lower if one or the partner has own income. Sometimes, however, the ARGE accidentally calculates a higher income than actually exists. Anyone who then lodges a contradiction can pay the unduly paid unemployment benefit II.
4. The income of a roommate is calculated: More often, however, the income of a roommate, for example, in a shared flat, is wrongly counted. Because if the ALG II beneficiary lives with another person for more than two years, the consortium may assume that it is a so-called need community in which several people live together, as in a family or shared life. This would mean that the income and wealth of all roommates would be included in the calculation of the unemployment benefit. Although you do not have to engage the field worker of the ARGE, who controls the housing conditions, but you should be able to prove in any case that it is not a need but only a shared housing.
5. A bad job offer: The ARGE is to bring the beneficiaries of unemployment benefit II back into work. In principle, a good idea, but who gets unemployment benefit II must accept any reasonable employment. It does not help to argue, for example, as an unemployed computer scientist, to be overqualified for caretaker services: the unemployment benefit II is immediately reduced in the case of a rejection of the job offer. The only solution: There must be an important reason not to accept a job offer. This includes, for example, a physical or mental illness, to be proved by a medical certificate. This is also possible afterwards. For example, if you could not accept a job offer because it was in the hospital and you did not know about it, you can still get the unemployment benefit II paid too little.
6. In the case of nursing, Even those who have to care for relatives or demonstrably jeopardize the education of their children through the job can refuse. The latter usually applies to single parents of toddlers in the first three years, if they find no place in the daycare.
7. Apply for further training: If you receive unemployment benefit II, you can finance further training courses such as driving licenses, languageCourses or computer courses if they are useful for job search. There is, however, no law that says that you have to get an education; the decision is rather the sole discretion of the clerk. If you want to convince them, you should submit a written application and explain why the course is useful. In addition, one should insist on a written rejection: opposition can be filed against this, so that another position at ARGE deals with the case.
8. Wrong training: Further training may be necessary in order to get a job again and therefore the ARGE regularly offers the recipients of unemployment benefit II appropriate measures. But not all of them are really useful: For example, a computer scientist does not need a computer course, an accountant does not have an accounting course. And yet, whoever refuses must expect reductions in the unemployment allowance II.
9. Meaningless training: Anyone who thinks that continuing education does not lead to the desired goal should simply talk to their specialist: Perhaps they have not noticed that they already have the qualification. It is even better, however, to make alternative proposals immediately; because maybe an accounting course makes sense for the computer scientist because he wants to become self-employed? In any case, you should show that you are committed and in principle willing to continue to qualify. Anyone who talks constructively with his clerk has a good chance of getting suitable training instead of the wrong one.
10. Move: The ARGE can reduce the benefit for recipients of unemployment benefit II, if the previous apartment is too big or too expensive and they do not want to move. Conversely, however, the ARGE must also make an application if you want to move yourself. And: If you want to change your apartment, you have to submit different housing offers and prove that he has picked out the cheapest offer. Whoever does not follow this path risks that the ARGE will neither pay the costs for the move nor the rent for the new apartment.

Where do recipients of unemployment benefit II get help?

Discounts for your success (advertising)!

Even though it may not be nice that the ARGE can reduce the unemployment benefit II in case of non-fulfillment of certain duties: Who does not completely refuse the requirements of the ARGE and looking for problems in the dialogue, has to fear no complete reduction of benefits.

Anyone who has problems with the ARGE can contact the Sozialverband Deutschland (www.sovd.de): Members can register here for a contribution of 5 euros per month to all social law free of charge Ask seek advice. You can also apply for legal aid: However, this will only be paid if a lawsuit is actually filed, but there is no money for previous consultations.

Top books on the subject

Read text as PDF

Acquire this text as a PDF (only for own use without passing it on according to Terms and conditions): Please send us one after purchase eMail with the desired title supportberufebilder.de, we will then send the PDF to you immediately. You can also purchase text series.

4,99€Buy

Advice on success, goal achievement or marketing

Do you have questions about careers, Recruiting, personal development or increasing reach? Our AIAdviser helps you for 5 euros a month – free for book buyers. We offer special ones for other topics IT services

5,00€ / per month   Book

Book eCourse on Demand

Up to 30 lessons with 4 learning tasks each + final lesson as a PDF download. Please send us one after purchase eMail with the desired title supportberufebilder.de. Alternatively, we would be happy to put your course together for you or offer you a personal, regular one eMail-Course - all further information!

29,99€Buy

Skate eBook as desired

If our store does not offer you your desired topic: We will be happy to put together a book according to your wishes and deliver it in a format of yours Choice. Please sign us after purchase supportberufebilder.de

79,99€Buy