If you’re receiving ALGII benefits and you have a residence permit, you might have been feeling on edge lately as the deadline given by the Berlin foreigner’s office edges closer. You’ll be pleased to read that you can now receive social welfare at leastuntil the end of 2020.
The Berlin foreigner’s office has just issued a new decree. They sneakily uploaded it onto their website yesterday without much ado. This decree extends the new exceptions that were put into place in March, extended until the end of June and extended once again until the end of September. Now you can breathe easy until 31.12.2020.
Under normal circumstances, if you have a residence permit and apply for ALGII, receiving welfare would invalidate your permit. In March, Berlin showed some mercy by declaring that they wouldn’t invalidate any permits for this reason, at least until 30.06.2020. They extended the decree until 30.09.2020 in May. And yesterday, they extended the decree until the end of the year.
What do I do now?
If you are already receiving ALGII but you won’t have received 6 months’ worth by 30.09.2020, you can sit tight. You’ll get a letter from the JobCenter that extends your benefits automatically, either until you’ve received 6 months’ worth or until it’s 31.12.2020, whichever happens first.
If you’re receiving ALGII but your 6-month approval period is approaching, the JobCenter will send you a letter at least a month before the period expires asking you to fill out another form to get them approved for another 6 months, if you still need ALGII. The form is called a “Weiterbewilligungsantrag” and you can download it here.
If you have been thinking of applying but are worried about the implications for your residence permit, don’t hold back! Now’s a great time to apply. Get started by watching this video in English on how to fill out the main application form.
If you are not in Berlin, check with your local foreigner’s office to see if they have a similar policy to that of the Berlin authority.
If you would like to go through the application, or any other form, together with a Life Admin assistant, we have reduced our fees to 35.00 EUR per hour for ALGII applicants and recipients. Book online and get started.
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