Advice - Whom can I ask?
Against the backdrop of increased gas and energy prices, more and more citizens are becoming concerned about how to pay for their energy and living costs. Low incomes, high energy prices and high energy consumption, e.g. due to poor energy standards of old household appliances or residential buildings, can quickly lead to problems in making payments. This applies to both the monthly payments and the annual bill. Various agencies can help with your concerns and problems. In the section below, you will find information that most closely reflects your situation.
Do the questions and answers not provide you with any help? Contact us by phone on: 02365-99.2345 or by e-mail Energie(at)Marl.de. Get in touch with us.
What can I do about debts from energy bills?
As a first step, have your energy supplier check your bill again.
If your energy supplier is unable to help you, contact a recognised debt and insolvency counselling centre as soon as possible.
Contactdetails
- Verbraucherzentrale NRW e.V., Beratungsstelle Marl
MARLER STERN
02365 8562501 - Diakonisches Werk: Schuldner- und Insolvenzberatung
Plaggenbrauckstraße 1A
02365 414419
If the legal requirements are met, rent or electricity debts can be taken on by another party on the basis of Social Code II or Social Code XII.
Whether assistance is possible always has to be examined and decided on a case-by-case basis.
Contact details:
PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE INCREASED WORKLOAD, PROCESSING TIMES MAY TAKE LONGER THAN USUAL.
Where can people with low pensions get financial help if they cannot pay their heating bill or heating bill arrears?
If you are unable to pay your heating bill or supplementary heating bill due to the increased prices, contact the Office for Labour and Social Affairs (Amt für Arbeit und Soziales) and apply for benefits under SGB XII (basic social security benefits). Even if your pension usually covers your needs and you are therefore not permanently entitled to basic social security benefits, a high heating bill or additional demands can justify a one-off entitlement to basic social security benefits. It is important that you submit the application for basic social security benefits in the month in which the additional payment is due. The social welfare office first checks whether the costs or your consumption are reasonable and whether you are entitled to benefits based on your income.
Contact details:
- Amt50(at)Marl.de
- 02365-99-2490
- Homepage: Marl.de - Sozialhilfe
PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE INCREASED WORKLOAD, PROCESSING TIMES MAY TAKE LONGER THAN USUAL.
Where can people with low incomes get financial help if they cannot pay their heating bill or heating bill arrears?
If you are unable to pay your heating costs or additional demand due to increased prices, contact the JobCenter and apply for benefits under SGB II (ALG II). Even if your income usually covers your needs and you are therefore not entitled to benefits on a permanent basis, a high heating cost bill or additional demands can justify a one-off claim for ALG II. It is important that you apply for ALG II in the month in which the additional payment is due. The JobCenter will check whether the costs or your consumption are reasonable and whether you are entitled to benefits based on your income.
Contact details:
- marl(at)vestische-arbeit.de
- 02365-95397-655
- Homepage: Jobcenter Kreis Recklinghausen - Bezirksstelle Marl
PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE INCREASED WORKLOAD, PROCESSING TIMES MAY TAKE LONGER THAN USUAL.
What is the "Wohngeld" housing benefit?
Housing benefit is a subsidy for housing costs paid by the federal government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, each paying half. This is intended to make housing costs affordable for low-income households.
Housing benefit is paid as a rent subsidy (if you rent an apartment or house) or as a subsidy (if you own a home or your own apartment).
On 1st January 2023, the Housing Benefit Act is due to be comprehensively amended. The aim is to increase the number of people entitled to housing benefit and the housing benefit itself.
Costs for heating and hot water have not yet been taken into account in the charges. In view of the sharp rise in the price of heating energy, it is also necessary to take account of household heating costs in the housing benefit.
The law is currently in the legislative process. Therefore, it is not yet certain what it will finally look like. Therefore, the housing benefit office cannot yet answer questions about what will apply from 1st January 2023.
Who can claim "Wohngeld" housing benefit?
You can only receive housing benefit if you do not receive any other social benefits that already take housing costs into account. This applies to recipients of benefits under SGB II (HartzIV), SGB XII (basic social security for those unable to work), BAföG or vocational training benefit. The receipt of these benefits excludes the receipt of housing benefit.
Whether you are entitled to housing benefit depends on various factors. These include the size of the household, the total monthly income that can be taken into account and the rent or other costs which have to be taken into account.
As such, there is no easy-to-remember income threshold. A legally binding preliminary calculation by telephone is therefore not possible.
You can use the online housing benefit calculator from the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry for Home, Municipal Affairs, Building and Digitisation to calculate whether you can get housing benefit:
When and where can I apply for housing benefit?
Your actual entitlement to housing benefit can only be determined as part of an application to the housing benefit office of the city of Marl after submission of all the necessary documents. You can submit the request in writing.
The contact details of Marl’s housing benefit office can be found here:
Contact details:
PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE INCREASED WORKLOAD, PROCESSING TIMES MAY TAKE LONGER THAN USUAL.
