As Germany faces another bite of winter weather this week, and the gas price cap is yet to benefit energy consumers, Germany’s Federal Employment Agency has announced that people struggling with heating bill costs can apply for a one-off 502-euro government payment.

German Employment Agency offers heating payment support

2022 saw energy prices in Germany soar. While many people believe that heating bill subsidies are only available for unemployed or retired people, a new government policy is giving anyone who is struggling to pay their energy costs the chance to apply for a one-off 502-euro support payment.

Over the past year, the German government has introduced a number of measures designed to ease the burden on consumer wallets as utility bill costs rise. But while residents wait for the gas price cap to kick in, some are already struggling with payments.

The new 502-euro subsidy will be a one-off Bürgergeld payment and will be paid by the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). Bürgergeld, or citizens’ income, replaced another unemployment benefit, Hartz IV, at the beginning of 2023 and is designed to support people with low incomes and those who have lost their job in Germany.

Who can claim the 502-euro heating payment?

According to the Federal Employment Agency anybody who can prove that they can no longer afford their heating costs can apply for the lump sum. This can be proven by providing your heating bills and monthly payslips.

A number of further requirements apply. Applicants must be at least 15 years old and able to work at least three hours a day. You must also be a legal resident of Germany and each person in your household may hold no more than 15.000 euros in savings and assets.

If you think you would be eligible to receive the support payment you can apply on the German Jobcentre website. Retroactive applications can also be submitted for up to three months after the month in question - if you struggled to pay for your bill in February, for example, you can still apply in May to receive the money retroactively.

Thumb image credit: Yevhen Prozhyrko / Shutterstock.com