{"id":170655,"date":"2018-09-16T21:57:00","date_gmt":"2018-09-16T19:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/berlinstartupjobs.com\/?page_id=170655"},"modified":"2022-04-26T10:27:30","modified_gmt":"2022-04-26T08:27:30","slug":"how-to-claim-unemployment-benefits-in-berlin","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/berlinstartupjobs.com\/de\/guide-working-in-berlin\/how-to-claim-unemployment-benefits-in-berlin\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Claim Unemployment Benefits in Berlin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Almost every person will spend at least a little time in their lives unemployed. If it happens to you while you\u2019re in Berlin, what can you do? Here\u2019s some info on what you\u2019re entitled to and what to do if your employer tells you that your job\u2019s going bye-bye.<\/p>\n

Do you qualify for unemployment benefits?<\/h2>\n

As an employee in Berlin, you pay a lot of deductions out of your monthly salary. If you find yourself unemployed, this is when you\u2019ll really feel the value of them. However, not everyone qualifies for Arbeitslosengeld<\/em> or unemployment benefit. You will qualify if you are a registered person who has worked at least 12 months in the last two years. If you resigned, you will most likely have to wait 3 months before you can claim benefits. And if you\u2019re a freelancer, unless you have employment insurance, you\u2019re on your own.<\/p>\n

How much money can you expect?<\/h2>\n

To claim unemployment benefits in Germany, you need to have contributed for twice as long as you can receive it for. That means, if you\u2019ve worked and contributed for two years, you can claim benefits for one. In terms of the amount, you will receive 60% of your net salary (that means after deductions) and 67% if you have dependents.<\/p>\n

Different types of unemployment benefits<\/h2>\n

The type of benefit you receive will fall into one of two categories:<\/p>\n

Arbeitslosengeld 1 (ALG 1)<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 This is what you can claim after having worked as an employee in Germany for at least 12 months. You\u2019ll be referred to the Arbeitsagentur<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Arbeitslosengeld 2 (ALG 2)<\/strong> <\/em>\u00a0\u2014 This is also known as Hartz 4. Fun fact: it\u2019s named after Peter Hartz who instituted the system. This is what you can claim if you\u2019ve either never worked in Germany before, or if your Arbeitslosengeld 1<\/em> entitlements run out, e.g. if you\u2019ve been claiming ALG 1 for over a year. You\u2019ll be referred to the Job Center.<\/p>\n

What to do when you find out you\u2019ve been let go<\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re let go from your job it\u2019s likely to happen in one of two ways.<\/p>\n

Way the first: you\u2019re notified that your contract will not be renewed and you\u2019re obliged to work for the remainder of the notice period.<\/p>\n

The second is what happens when you\u2019re let go due to unforeseen circumstances such as insolvency.<\/p>\n

In both cases, you should get a letter of termination, and you need to bring this to the Arbeitsagentur ASAP, ideally on the day you get the news.<\/p>\n

The Arbeitsbescheinigung<\/em> or termination letter should detail the reasons you\u2019re being let go. Again, if you quit of your own volition, you will have to wait three months before you can sign on. However, if there\u2019s no animosity between you and your employer but you\u2019re parting ways due to a mutual understanding, you can usually come to an agreement where an employer will provide you with a termination letter. This is not a general rule, but it can be worth investigating.<\/p>\n

If you fail to register on time, you\u2019ll likely lose out on some of the money you would have gotten otherwise. But there\u2019s really no reason to do so. The unemployment system is really efficient and there\u2019s no reason you should be out of pocket for long.<\/p>\n

Register yourself as a jobseeker<\/h3>\n

When you get let go, it\u2019s a good idea to go directly to the unemployment office as they\u2019ll most often help you get everything sorted stat. However, before you go, you should immediately register yourself as a soon-to-be jobseeker online. This will show that you\u2019re eager to be gainfully employed. You can register online here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Register in person at the unemployment office<\/h3>\n

If you can, it\u2019s a good idea to register as unemployed or soon-to-be unemployed in person before you actually finish working. If you don\u2019t have that option, you need to make it the first thing you do on your first day of unemployment.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll need:<\/p>\n