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Emergency

Benefits for participation in working life

Anyone who can no longer do their previous job for health reasons is not dependent on early retirement. Benefits for participation in working life are meant to help you stay in working life, from retraining to disability-appropriate equipment.

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Your chances of getting your money back

Benefits for participation in working life include, among others, help to keep or obtain a job, retraining, qualifications, and technical aids (§ 49 SGB IX). Depending on the case, the providers are the pension insurance, the employment agency, or the accident insurance.
The benefits can enable a vocational reorientation and thus avert a threatened reduction in earning capacity. Which provider is responsible is clarified after the application is submitted.

What you should do now

  1. 1

    1. Clarify the need

    Clarify whether the previous job can still be done health-wise.

  2. 2

    2. Submit the application

    Submit an application for benefits for participation in working life.

  3. 3

    3. Wait for the provider

    The responsible provider is determined and reviews the benefits.

  4. 4

    4. Use the measure

    Actively make use of approved retraining or aids.

How to spot the scam

  • Early retirement is hastily pursued without checking participation benefits.
  • The application is submitted to the wrong provider and not forwarded.
  • Cooperation duties in the measure are neglected.

Frequently asked questions

What are benefits for participation in working life?

Aids meant to enable people with health limitations to stay in or return to working life, such as retraining, further training, technical work aids, or subsidies to employers (§ 49 SGB IX). They are meant to avert a reduction in earning capacity.

Who pays for these benefits?

Depending on the case, the pension insurance, the employment agency, or the accident insurance. You do not have to determine the provider yourself: submit the application, and the provider approached reviews responsibility and forwards it if necessary.

Do I get money during a retraining?

During a funded measure, a maintenance benefit (e.g. transitional allowance) can be paid to secure your living. The amount and requirements depend on the provider and your history. Clarify this in the course of submitting the application.

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General information for self-help, not legal advice (RDG). In case of a high loss or uncertainty: contact a consumer advice center or a lawyer.