If an unmarried child aged at least 15 but under 25, who is fit for employment, applies for benefits under Social Code II, parents living in the household are also part of the benefit community.
Example:
A mother with two children – one daughter (12) and one son (26) – and the son’s girlfriend (23) move into a flat together.
For the authorities, this situation means that there are two benefit communities:
- the mother with the 12-year-old child
- the son and his girlfriend
Therefore, both the mother and the son can make applications independent of each other.
Since they live together and in this example form a household community, some costs/benefits are adjusted, e.g. the rent or utility costs. Other benefits, such as training and child benefit, are assessed and offset independently for each benefit community.