Many tenants are currently receiving their annual service charge bill and will continue to do so in the coming months.
The job centre, the responsible provider of basic income support for jobseekers in accordance with the Second Book of the German Social Code (SGB II), also takes into account ancillary costs in addition to the standard benefits in the expenses for accommodation and heating in the event of need.
As the utility bill may affect the amount of benefits for accommodation and heating, recipients of citizen's allowance are obliged to submit the utility bill to the relevant job centre promptly.
If the utility bill shows an additional payment amount, this can be paid by the job centre, taking into account the appropriateness of the amount. A separate application is not required for this. It is sufficient to submit the complete documentation for the service charge statement.
In individual cases, an additional payment of ancillary costs can also be accepted if the statement relates to a period before the receipt of the citizen's allowance, but benefits are received in accordance with SGB II at the time the payment is due.
In view of the applicable obligation to cooperate, those entitled to benefits must also inform the job centre of any credit balance within the framework of the service charge statement. A refund or credit note may then reduce the benefits for accommodation and heating from the following month. The corresponding account statement must also be submitted to the job centre as proof of the credit.
If you have any questions or require further information on the subject of utility bill settlement, your personal benefits officer at the Salzlandkreis Job Centre is available to assist you. Further information can be found at www.jc.salzlandkreis.de.