Procedure descriptions

One-off requirements according to § 31 SGB XII

If you receive assistance with living expenses or basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity, you can receive benefits for certain one-off needs.
Even if you do not receive the above-mentioned benefit because you can cover your ongoing needs from your own resources and means, but your resources are not sufficient to cover the one-off needs, you may be entitled to benefits for one-off needs under certain conditions.

One-off needs include

  • Initial furnishings for the home including household appliances, for example
    • when moving into your own home for the first time,
    • after a house fire,
    • when renting for the first time after serving a longer prison sentence,
    • a move from shared accommodation,
    • when leaving a women's or men's home or
    • after separation and division of household contents
  • Initial equipment for clothing, for example
    • after a house fire or flood
    • during pregnancy and childbirth, including
      • Initial equipment and
      • Maternity clothing
    • in the event of total loss or new requirements due to exceptional circumstances. This also includes significant weight loss.
  • Purchase and repair of orthopaedic shoes
  • Repair of therapeutic appliances and equipment and
  • Hire of therapeutic equipment.

If you do not live alone, the social welfare office will take into account the entire income of the members of the joint household (e.g. spouse not living separately) in order to determine your entitlement to benefits. This includes, for example

  • Earned income
  • Maintenance payments
  • Pension income

Certain assets are not considered to be protected assets, for example

  • so-called "small cash amounts" (current account, savings books, building society savings contract, cash, etc.)
    • per adult: EUR 10,000,
    • per child: EUR 500 or
  • an appropriate owner-occupied property.

Responsible authority

The social welfare office

Social welfare office is,

  • if you live in an urban district: the city administration
  • if you live in a rural district: the district administration

Note: Some rural districts have transferred responsibility to larger towns in their district. If you live in a rural district, the district administration office or the municipal administration of your place of residence can tell you which authority is responsible.

Landratsamt Reutlingen

Details

Prerequisite

  • You are in need of assistance, i.e. you cannot fully cover your one-off needs from your own resources and strength.
  • You have reached the age limit for the standard old-age pension or are over 18 years old and unable to work because you are temporarily or permanently fully incapacitated for work:
    • You are temporarily fully incapacitated for work if you are unable to work regularly for at least 3 hours a day under the usual conditions of the general labour market for the foreseeable future, i.e. for more than 6 months.
  • You are under 15 years old and live
    • together with people who receive social assistance themselves, for example with your parents,
    • in a household with your grandparents or in kinship care, without being granted benefits from economic youth welfare.
  • You are not a student or trainee.
  • You do not receive any:
    • Citizen's allowance (basic income support for jobseekers according to the Second Book of the German Social Code (SGB II)) or
    • Benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act.

Procedure

The processing time depends on the individual case. The responsible social welfare office will take care of the processing as quickly as possible. You can shorten the processing time if you submit all documents to the social welfare office promptly and in full.

Deadlines

None

Required documents

  • valid identity card or passport, confirmation of registration if applicable
  • Proof of a temporary or permanent full reduction in earning capacity
  • Proof of income, for example:
    • Pension,
    • Sickness benefit,
    • Child benefit,
    • Maintenance payments or
    • Maintenance advance
  • Proof of assets, for example
    • Bank statements and
    • Savings balances
  • Tenancy agreement and last rent increase letter
  • Proof of expenses, for example documents on insurance premiums
  • Proof of the amount of contributions to health and long-term care insurance
  • The scope of the documents required, especially for proof of income and assets, depends on the individual case. Your local social welfare office may request further documents from you.

Costs

none

Processing time

  • The processing time depends on the individual case. The responsible social welfare office will take care of the processing as quickly as possible. You can shorten the processing time if you submit all documents to the social welfare office promptly and in full.

Miscellaneous

none

Legal basis

Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB) Zwölftes Buch (XII) - Sozialhilfe:

  • § 31 Einmalige Bedarfe
  • § 42 Bedarfe
  • § 82 Begriff des Einkommens

Verordnung zur Durchführung des § 82 des Zwölften Buches Sozialgesetzbuch

Verordnung zur Durchführung des § 90 Abs. 2 Nr.9 des Zwölften Buches Sozialgesetzbuch

Release note

Machine generated, based on the German release by: Sozialministerium Baden-Württemberg, 09.10.2025