The claim

In sarcastic calls, Hartz IV recipients are wanted to warm up in the winter, take a shower and charge their phones. This suggests that Hartz IV recipients do not have to pay any energy costs.

Our conclusion

However, this claim is false. The assumption of additional costs for Hartz IV recipients is regulated; in principle, these must be appropriately high. Electricity costs are generally not covered by the job center.

Inflation – especially in energy prices – is causing many to fear the approaching winter. Some users now find it particularly “funny” to ask Hartz IV recipients for support. In various sharepics or postings on social media there are calls looking for Hartz IV recipients where you can warm up, take a warm shower or even charge your cell phone, such as this one:

Screenshot: Facebook “Do Hartz IV recipients get all their energy costs paid?”
Screenshot Facebook

However, the assumption that the job center covers all energy costs of Hartz IV recipients is simply wrong. There is a regulation for what is included, under what conditions and up to what amount.

Additional costs for Hartz IV

For Hartz IV recipients, “KdU” – costs of accommodation and heating – are included. However, this is only on the condition that they are “appropriate”. You can quickly find this information on the website HartzIV.org

“If you receive Hartz IV, the additional costs are covered by the job center as part of the costs for accommodation and heating (KdU). However, there are exceptions because not all additional costs are borne by the job center. For example, the electricity itself has to be paid for by the standard rate. The prerequisite for assuming the full costs is that the additional costs are appropriately high - otherwise there is a risk of a cost reduction procedure.

Heating costs will be covered at the actual amount if they are classified as “appropriate”. When making this classification, job center employees base their decisions on local regulations and experience. However, you can decide for yourself when heating costs are too high and therefore cannot be reimbursed in full.

When it comes to the costs of hot water preparation, a distinction is made as to whether this happens centrally (communal heating system in the building) or decentrally (gas boiler, boiler, instantaneous water heater, etc. directly in the accommodation).
With central hot water preparation, these additional costs are covered directly with the rent by the job center. With decentralized processing, Hartz IV recipients are entitled to additional demand because the costs are billed directly to gas works or electricity providers.

Even with central processing, a maximum of the additional requirement is covered:

If the costs are not appropriately high, it is the obligation of those entitled to Hartz IV to prove how these came about. Regular evidence of increased need must be submitted here. If there is no justification for “individual appropriateness”, the job center can request a cost reduction.

By the way, electricity costs are not covered by the job center.

Suspension of the adequacy test – Update September 22, 2022

A user pointed out to us that there is currently no adequacy test under Section 67 II SGB “Simplified procedure for access to social security due to the COVID-19 pandemic” . - Thank you at this point!

This determination applies to approval periods that begin from March 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022. This means that the adequacy test is waived during this period. Here the actual KdU are recognized as appropriate regardless of their amount.

From January 1, 2023, citizen's benefit will come into force as basic security for job seekers. Here too, costs for heating and hot water are covered. And here too – as with Hartz IV – the appropriateness of housing costs applies. However, there is a new regulation here:

“Within the first two years of receiving benefits (waiting period), citizens’ benefit recipients do not have to worry about the appropriateness of the apartment or rent. There is no appropriateness check by the office. This is a significant difference to the previous Hartz IV regulations.”

Citizens' benefit/apartment (KdU)

Conclusion

The claim that all energy costs of Hartz IV recipients are covered by the job center is fundamentally wrong.
There is currently no appropriateness test, which results from an adjustment during the corona pandemic.
Sarcastic requests to ask these people for support when it comes to warming up and charging cell phones are nevertheless rather meaningless and are probably best classified as jealous behavior.

Source: HARTZIV.org , BMAS , SGB II , citizen's money

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