[H2] What is Mehrbedarf and who is it paid to?
Mehrbedarf is an additional monthly payment on top of the basic asylum seeker benefit for people who have special life circumstances that require higher expenses. It is regulated under § 6 of the Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz (AsylbLG).
[H3] What life situations give the right to an additional payment?

• Pregnancy
• Single parenthood (Alleinerziehende)
• Costly medically prescribed diet
• Disability (including marks G or aG in the disabled person's ID)

During the first 36 months (basic benefits, Grundleistungen), the supplement is regulated under § 6 AsylbLG as "other benefits" – if necessary for subsistence or health. After 36 months (equivalent benefits, Analogleistungen), full rates apply in analogy to regular social assistance (SGB XII or SGB II).
The most important thing to remember: The supplement does not come automatically. It must be requested separately. Many people are unaware of this and lose money.

[H2] Who is entitled to additional payment (and who will be denied)?
[H3] Complete list of grounds for obtaining Mehrbedarf:


[H3] Reasons for refusal (what to be wary of)

• If you are already receiving full Analogleistungen and the supplement is already included
• In the first 36 months, authorities often refuse or reduce the amount, referring to § 6 AsylbLG ("only to the necessary extent")
• If you are in the "bread-bed-soap" regime under § 1a AsylbLG (manifestly unfounded asylum), supplements are generally not granted
• The total amount of all supplements cannot exceed your basic need rate (Bedarfsstufe)
• You need actual need + evidence. Without documents, nothing will happen

[H2] Payment amount: How much do they pay in [year]?
[H3] During the first 36 months (Grundleistungen):
The supplement is calculated as a percentage of the "necessary need" (notwendiger Bedarf) of your category.


[H3] After 36 months (Analogleistungen):
Full rates as in Bürgergeld / SGB XII (based on €563 for singles).


The supplement is paid monthly together with the main benefit – as cash or on the payment card (Bezahlkarte).
Important: The supplement for single parents is not automatic. You must apply for it, and the authority decides on a case-by-case basis.

[H2] Filing and payment deadlines: When can I expect the money?
When to apply: At any time. Best to apply together with the main AsylbLG application. Or as soon as the reason arises: you find out you are pregnant, the child is born, you receive a medical certificate.
How long to wait for a decision: Usually 2–6 weeks. The response may come together with the main decision or as a separate letter.
From when it is paid: From the date the entitlement arises (e.g., from the 13th week of pregnancy), if you apply on time. Retroactive payment is possible – but only if you did not delay.
If you disagree with the decision: You have 1 month to file an objection (Widerspruch) from the date you receive the decision.

[H3] Legal basis and court decisions

• Single parents: According to a decision by the Lower Saxony-Bremen State Social Court (L 8 AY 57/14 B ER), a lump-sum supplement for single parents under § 6 AsylbLG in conjunction with § 30 SGB XII is not permitted. The specific need must be proven.
• Shared accommodation: Single people living in refugee shelters (Gemeinschaftsunterkünfte) are entitled to Bedarfsstufe 1, not the lower Stufe 2. This has been confirmed by the Bavarian State Social Court (L 8 AY 12/23).
• § 1a restrictions: If benefits are reduced under § 1a AsylbLG, you may still be entitled to supplements. This requires an official warning and deadline, and the condition may be due to the applicant's fault.

[H3] Educational benefits (Bildung und Teilhabe)
Children receiving AsylbLG are also entitled to benefits for education and participation (BuT): school supplies, school meals, excursions, tutoring, etc. These must be applied for separately. For Analogleistungen, the application must be submitted in the month of purchase; otherwise, coverage is excluded.


[H2] Common mistakes in formatting (and how to avoid them)

1. Not submitting a separate application for Mehrbedarf. You think it will come automatically. It won't. This is the most common mistake.
2. No medical certificate or disability ID. Without documents, the authority will not even consider your request.
3. Missing the Widerspruch deadline. One month passes – and that's it.
4. The authority reduces the rate or rejects "because AsylbLG." This is common in the first 36 months. But it can and should be challenged.
5. Not reporting changes. The pregnancy ends, the diet is discontinued, the child turns 7 – if you don't report it, you may later be asked to repay the overpayment.
6. Accepting a rejection without filing a Widerspruch. That's a mistake. Many successfully win such cases in the Social Court because authorities often interpret the law too narrowly.
7. Assuming Analogleistungen come automatically. Even after 36 months, you may need to remind the authority to switch you to the higher rates.

Step-by-step instructions

The legal basis depends on which system you are in. For recipients of old-age or reduced-earning-capacity assistance (Grundsicherung, SGB XII), it is § 30 SGB XII. For recipients of the basic unemployment benefit (Bürgergeld, SGB II), it is § 21 SGB II. Focusing on Grundsicherung, the instructions below apply to the Sozialamt (SGB XII); differences will be noted so that you can navigate both systems.
The essence of the mechanism: Mehrbedarf is not a separate benefit, but rather an additional amount added to your standard subsistence allowance (Regelsatz). It is only granted when a specific, documented ground listed in the law is present. It is not awarded automatically. The burden of applying lies with you.

Step 1. Determine whether you have a legal ground (Tatbestand).
The law contains a closed list of qualifying situations. You must fall precisely into one of the categories. The most common grounds for Grundsicherung (SGB XII) recipients are:

• Disability with mark G or aG (Merkzeichen G/aG) and receipt of unemployment benefits: This is not relevant for Grundsicherung, as you are already considered incapable of work, but it applies in the Bürgergeld system. For SGB XII, the following points are more important.
• Recipients of a reduced-earning-capacity pension with mark G/aG: The additional need amounts to 17% of your Regelsatz.
• Pregnancy from the 13th week onward: Surcharge of 17% of the Regelsatz.
• Single parents (Alleinerziehende): The surcharge depends on the number and age of children (ranging from 12% to 60% of the Regelsatz).
• Need for costly nutrition for medical reasons (Krankheitskost): This is the most difficult to obtain, yet the most frequently requested. The surcharge is 10% of the Regelsatz. Grounds: you have a condition that requires a diet that is objectively more expensive than standard food (e.g., celiac disease, chronic renal failure, certain oncological conditions). Conditions like "diabetes" or "high cholesterol" alone do not qualify. You need not a weight-loss diet, but a clinically recognized necessity for special products (e.g., gluten-free foods).
• One-time exceptional hardship case (Härtefall): Only in exceptional circumstances not listed above, where refusing the surcharge would be inhumane.

Step 2. Submit a written application.
Write a formal letter: "Antrag auf Gewährung eines Mehrbedarfs gemäß § 30 SGB XII" (Application for the grant of additional needs under § 30 SGB XII). State the specific ground you are claiming. For example: "Due to my disability with mark 'G', I request that the Mehrbedarf of 17% of the Regelsatz be added to my benefit."

Step 3. Attach supporting evidence.
Without attaching supporting documents, your application will not be processed. The requirements vary by ground:

• For the disability ground (G/aG): A copy of your severely disabled person's ID card (Schwerbehindertenausweis) with the visible mark G or aG on the reverse side.
• For the costly nutrition ground: You need a certificate from your treating physician (Ärztliches Attest / Bescheinigung). Authorities often require a specific form to be filled out (in SGB XII, this may be the "Ärztliche Bescheinigung zur Notwendigkeit kostenaufwändiger Ernährung" – though forms vary by federal state). The physician must state the specific ICD-10 diagnosis and justify why the standard Regelsatz does not cover the necessary food products. The Sozialamt is entitled to forward the request to the public health department (Gesundheitsamt) for verification.
• For the single parent ground: The child's birth certificate and a certificate of household composition (Meldebescheinigung) confirming that the other parent is not registered at the same address.

Step 4. Ensure the recalculation is made.
If your application is approved, the Mehrbedarf is granted from the first day of the month of application (in SGB XII) – not retroactively. In the Bürgergeld system (SGB II), the principle is the same.
The amount is added to your regular benefit. For example, with a Regelsatz of €563 (2024), a 17% surcharge amounts to approximately €95.71 in addition to the base amount.

Step 5. Report any change in circumstances immediately.
This is an obligation, not a request. You must notify the Sozialamt in writing if:

• The ground for the Mehrbedarf ceases to exist (e.g., your ID card with mark G expires and a new one is not issued; your child moves out; the medically prescribed diet is no longer necessary).
• The pregnancy period ends and transitions to the postnatal phase.

If you continue to receive the surcharge while knowing that you are no longer entitled to it, you will face recovery of overpayments and, in the worst case, charges of fraud.

Practical note on Krankheitskost (costly nutrition):
Prepare for resistance. Social welfare authorities often refuse the nutrition surcharge, arguing that modern dietary guidelines allow for adequate nutrition within a standard budget – even without special products (especially for diabetes or hypertension). Success here depends directly on the level of detail in your physician's certificate. The doctor must explicitly state: "The patient requires [name of expensive product/group] for vital medical reasons. The cost of adhering to this diet exceeds the standard Regelsatz by X percent." Without such specificity, a rejection is almost guaranteed.