The job center is pursuing citizens after discovering their residency abroad.
A couple living in the German city of Bremen is required to repay an amount of 33,000 euros they received as Bürgergeld assistance, after the Jobcenter discovered that they had lived abroad for years without informing the authorities. Unlike pensions that can be transferred abroad without losing entitlement, the Bürgergeld law requires beneficiaries to be permanently available for the local labor market in Germany. The assistance is automatically lost if they reside outside the country for an extended period without prior permission.
According to the ruling of the Higher Social Court in the state of Niedersachsen-Bremen, it was found that the couple received this benefit despite being absent from the country between 2016 and 2018 at least. The court was not convinced by their claim that they were only residing for short periods outside Germany. The existence of altered passports, conflicting statements, in addition to reports confirming non-residence at the registered address, all led the court to reject their statements. Investigations revealed that the husband was working for a Nigerian transport company, and that his wife was a registered lawyer in Nigeria, while their children were studying in Lagos. Furthermore, there was no evidence of their residence in the registered apartment in Bremen, which led the court to shift the burden of proof onto them, considering that they had continuously deceived the relevant authorities.
The revelation came after the federal police examined their passports at Bremen Airport upon their return to Germany in 2018, where the stamps showed long periods of absence from the country. A witness confirmed in court that the couple asked him to provide false testimony in their favor. Social law expert Caroline Jana Kloose explains that a person benefiting from Bürgergeld must be available for the labor market at any moment. Only an absence of three weeks per year is allowed, provided that prior approval is obtained from the employment office. Anyone exceeding this period or traveling without permission automatically loses their right.
Failure to comply with these conditions not only leads to the termination of benefits but also ends health insurance and long-term care insurance. For this reason, all beneficiaries of Bürgergeld are advised to obtain prior approval even when temporarily leaving the city.
This is not the only example, as the authorities demanded that a family from Berlin return 22,600 euros after they took a pilgrimage to Mecca without informing the employment office, and another beneficiary was forced to return amounts he received by mistake over a period of 16 years.