Standard rates 2026 for Grundsicherungsgeld
The standard need is the amount for living costs without housing costs. It depends on the situation a person lives in:
| Level | For whom | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Single people, single parents and people whose partner is a minor | 563 € |
| Level 2 | Two adult partners, per person | 506 € |
| Level 3 | Other adults in the benefit household, such as grown-up children living with their parents; also anyone under 25 who moves out without prior approval | 451 € |
| Level 4 | Young people from 14 to under 18 | 471 € |
| Level 5 | Children from 6 to under 14 | 390 € |
| Level 6 | Children under 6 | 357 € |
As at: 15.09.2026. Source: § 20 Abs. 1a SGB II i. V. m. § 28 SGB XII, RBEG und Regelbedarfsstufen-Fortschreibungsverordnung 2026.
Additional needs come on top
Additional needs are a percentage of the standard need. The euro amounts are calculated from it and rounded to the cent (§ 41 Abs. 2 SGB II).
| Additional need | Rate | at level 1 | at level 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pregnancy, from the thirteenth week until the end of the month of delivery | 17 % | 95,71 € | 86,02 € |
| Single parent with one child under seven or with two or three children under sixteen | 36 % | 202,68 € | — |
| Single parent: per child, if that comes to more | 12 % | 67,56 € | — |
| Single parent: at most | 60 % | 337,80 € | — |
| People with disabilities who receive support for participation in working life | 35 % | 197,05 € | 177,10 € |
| Costly diet for medical reasons: in an appropriate amount | — | — | — |
For pregnancy and participation the additional need depends on the person's own standard need; that is why level 2 is shown as well.
The additional needs in this table together may not be higher than the standard need (§ 21 Abs. 8 SGB II).
There are also additional needs, for example for school books, for hot water from a device in the home and for an unavoidable special need.
What the standard need is meant for
The standard need covers above all food, clothing, personal hygiene, household goods, household energy without heating and hot water, and the personal needs of daily life (§ 20 Abs. 1 SGB II).
It is a monthly flat-rate amount. How the money is used is decided by the recipients themselves.
Examples: the standard needs of a household
The examples only add up the standard needs — without additional needs, without housing costs and without income. They are not a calculation of an entitlement.
| Household | Standard needs per month |
|---|---|
| One single person | 563 € |
| Two adult partners | 1.012 € |
| Two partners with a child under 6 and a child from 6 to under 14 | 1.759 € |
| Single parent with a child under 6 | 920 € |
Which amount is approved in the end is calculated by the Jobcenter from the details in the application.
Housing and heating come on top
Accommodation and heating are recognised at the actual costs, as far as they are appropriate. What is appropriate is set by each town and each district itself; there is no nationwide figure for it.
How the amounts are set
The amounts are set for each year by a regulation (§ 20 Abs. 1a SGB II). For 2026 it is the regulation updating the standard need levels.
What is taken into account
Payment is made only to the extent that income and assets do not cover the need (§ 19 Abs. 3 SGB II).