The asset allowance (Schonvermögen) under Grundsicherung is the part of your savings the Jobcenter does not count. Since 1 July 2026 its amount depends on your age under section 12(2) SGB II. This guide gives the amounts, shows which items stay protected and works through an example.
If you have savings, do not rely on figures from older Bürgergeld texts. The version applicable from July 2026 no longer has a separate grace period for assets.
In short: Under section 12(2) SGB II the asset allowance per person is 5,000 euros up to age 30, 10,000 euros from age 31, 12,500 euros from age 41 and 20,000 euros from age 51 (last updated November 2026). The higher amount applies from the month in which you reach the age limit.
Key points
- The allowance is graduated by age: 5,000, 10,000, 12,500 and 20,000 euros per person.
- The market value at the time of the application for granting or renewed granting is decisive (section 12(3)).
- Unused allowances of other members of the household can be transferred to a person whose assets exceed the allowance.
- Protected items include reasonable household goods, a reasonable car per employable person, retirement provision and owner-occupied property up to certain sizes.
- Section 12 SGB II no longer names a grace period for liquid assets. Only for owner-occupied property does section 12(1) refer to the grace period under section 22(1) sentence 2 SGB II, which lasts one year from the month in which benefits are first received.
How high is the asset allowance under Grundsicherung?
| Age | Allowance per person | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| up to age 30 | 5,000 euros | section 12(2) SGB II |
| from age 31 | 10,000 euros | section 12(2) SGB II |
| from age 41 | 12,500 euros | section 12(2) SGB II |
| from age 51 | 20,000 euros | section 12(2) SGB II |
The higher allowance applies from the start of the month in which the age limit is reached. The allowance applies to each member of the household individually. Anyone above the limit must use the excess before Grundsicherungsgeld is paid. The overview of the whole reform is in New Grundsicherung since July 2026 (in German).
What has changed compared with Bürgergeld?
The amendment record of the Thirteenth Act Amending Book II of the Social Code of 16 April 2026 (Federal Law Gazette 2026 I No. 107, issued 22 April 2026) shows an allowance of 15,000 euros per person for the earlier version. The act replaces that flat amount with the age scale. For younger claimants up to 30 the allowance is therefore lower, for people from 51 it is higher. A Jobcenter FAQ of the Saarpfalz district also records that the former grace period for assets no longer applies. A comparison of the two legal positions is in Bürgergeld or the new Grundsicherung (in German), and the grace period for housing costs in Grace period under Grundsicherung (in German).
Which assets stay protected?
Under section 12(1) SGB II realisable assets are in principle counted unless the statute exempts them. Not counted are, among others:
- reasonable household goods, judged by the circumstances of life during receipt of Grundsicherungsgeld,
- a reasonable motor vehicle per employable member of the household, whose reasonableness is presumed if you declare it in the application,
- insurance contracts intended for retirement provision and other forms of retirement provision expressly promoted under federal law,
- an owner-occupied house up to 140 square metres of living space or an owner-occupied flat up to 130 square metres,
- items and rights whose realisation would be a particular hardship.
With more than four occupants the size limits rise by 20 square metres per additional person. For self-employed people without compulsory pension contributions, retirement provision outside the promoted forms is subject to a ceiling calculated from the contribution rate and the average earnings. During the one-year grace period under section 22(1) sentence 2, owner-occupied property is disregarded regardless of the size limit.
What does an example look like?
Assumption: a 25-year-old career starter has 7,200 euros in a savings account after her studies and a reasonable car. She applies for Grundsicherungsgeld (last updated November 2026).
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Savings account at the time of application (market value) | 7,200 euros |
| Allowance up to age 30 | 5,000 euros |
| Assets to be counted | 2,200 euros |
| Car, household goods | protected if reasonable |
The applicant must use the excess 2,200 euros before receiving benefits. If she turned 31 the following month, the 10,000 euro allowance would apply from that month and her assets would fall below it. The example shows why the date of application and age matter. For students the basic exclusion under section 7(5) SGB II also applies, see New Grundsicherung for students (in German).
How does the household affect the allowance?
The allowance applies per person. If you live with a partner in a household for benefit purposes, each person has their own age-based allowance. Under section 12(2) SGB II unused allowances of other members can be transferred to the person whose assets exceed their own allowance. Assumption: a 33-year-old has 12,000 euros in savings, her 28-year-old partner 1,000 euros. The first person’s allowance is 10,000 euros, the second’s 5,000 euros, of which 4,000 euros are unused. Those 4,000 euros can be transferred to the first person, so that her 2,000 euros above the allowance are fully covered. How the Jobcenter calculates in an individual case is stated in the notice.
What applies to assets acquired later?
Under section 12(3) SGB II the reference date is the application for granting or renewed granting. For assets you acquire later, the time of acquisition is decisive. An inheritance or a cash gift during receipt can therefore change the calculation. Report such changes to the Jobcenter in writing and keep proof. How to deal with notices is explained in Objecting to a Jobcenter decision (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Does my savings account count as assets?
Yes, realisable assets count in principle, to the extent they exceed the allowance for your age. The status on the day of application decides.
Does the allowance apply to each person individually?
Yes. Unused allowances of other members of the household can be transferred to a person whose assets exceed the allowance.
Does the grace period apply to my savings?
Not under the version applicable from July 2026. Only for owner-occupied property does a one-year grace period still apply, via sections 12(1) and 22(1) sentence 2 SGB II.
Who decides in an individual case?
The responsible Jobcenter. It examines assets, hardship cases and the reasonableness of items.
What to do now
- Compile your accounts, investments and contracts as of the date of application.
- Compare the total with the allowance for your age.
- Check whether individual items are protected as retirement provision or reasonable household goods.
- Declare car and property completely in the application. If unsure, ask the Jobcenter. The documents are listed in Applying for Grundsicherung: documents (in German).
- For questions on investing and provision see how we work (in German).
Related guides
- New Grundsicherung since July 2026: what young adults need to know (in German)
- Bürgergeld or the new Grundsicherung: the differences (in German)
- Grace period under Grundsicherung: what no longer applies since July 2026 (in German)
- Applying for Grundsicherung: which documents the Jobcenter needs (in German)
Sources: Section 12 SGB II, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German, last updated November 2026); Section 22 SGB II, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German, last updated November 2026); Thirteenth Act Amending Book II of the Social Code, 16 April 2026, Federal Law Gazette 2026 I No. 107 of 22 April 2026 (reprint, in German, retrieved 2 November 2026); Amendment record (buzer.de, in German, last updated November 2026); FAQ new Grundsicherung, Jobcenter Saarpfalz district (in German, 2026).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
