Participation in social and cultural life — pushing through 15 euros from BuT for your child

Your child wants to join the football club, the music school or a holiday camp — and the Jobcenter rejects the application for the participation benefit from the education and participation (Bildung und Teilhabe, BuT) package. Such decisions can often be challenged. The 15 euros per month are owed to your child if it meets the requirements — and they can also be used in one go for an annual fee at the club.

The essentials in 30 seconds

  • Children and young people in the needs community (Bedarfsgemeinschaft, BG) — all persons in the household whose income is counted jointly — have a claim to 15 euros per month for social and cultural participation; legal basis: § 28 Abs. 7 SGB II.
  • The claim applies up to the 18th birthday and covers club fees, music-school fees, art and dance courses, holiday camps, museum contributions and similar.
  • The 15 euros are cumulative: per year up to 180 euros can be used in a single sum — for example for an annual sports-club fee or a holiday camp.
  • Payment is made not to you but directly to the club or provider — by bank transfer or voucher.
  • Objection period: one month from receipt of the decision. After that, the rejection is final.

We review your decision within 5 minutes. Free and non-binding.

Why is the participation benefit denied so often?

The participation flat rate is one of the least bureaucratic benefits from BuT — and that is precisely why Jobcenters often reject it on formal or factually wrong grounds. They know: many parents give up as soon as a rejection lands in the mailbox.

Example: Herr M. applies for his 10-year-old son for coverage of the annual fee at the local football club — 180 euros per year. That corresponds exactly to the 12 monthly contributions of 15 euros each. The Jobcenter answers: "15 euros per month is not enough for a club membership — the actual costs are higher." This rejection is wrong. The annual fee lies within the permitted cumulation. Moreover: even if the costs were higher, the Jobcenter could not reject the application completely but would have to pay out the 15 euros as a subsidy. The difference is then borne by the parents.

Other common rejection grounds:

  • "15 euros is not enough for the music school" — that is no rejection ground. The Jobcenter must contribute the 15 euros proportionally (cost-share principle or subsidy of up to 15 euros per month), not reject.
  • "Only club membership, not course fees" — wrong. § 28 Abs. 7 SGB II expressly covers courses (music lessons, art classes, dance classes) too, not only membership fees.
  • "Evidence incomplete" — here the Jobcenter has a duty to advise and to cooperate (§ 14 SGB I). It must support you in closing the gap, instead of rejecting flatly.
  • "Application filed too late" — the benefit can be applied for retroactively for the running approval period as long as the activity is still going on.

Your rights in concrete terms

  1. Claim under § 28 Abs. 7 SGB II. The statutory text speaks of "actual expenses for participation in the social and cultural life in the community". Meant are in particular: (a) membership fees in clubs in the areas of sport, play, culture and sociability, (b) lessons in artistic subjects (for example music lessons) and comparable guided activities, (c) participation in leisure activities such as holiday camps.

  2. Amount: 15 euros per month, cumulative up to 180 euros per year. The flat rate is not paid out to you. It is transferred by the Jobcenter directly to the club, music school or provider — or there is a voucher.

  3. One-off use is permitted. Particularly important: you do not have to use the 15 euros every month. Anyone who saves for ten months and then claims 150 euros for a summer holiday camp is in the right. The case law sees the annual sum as a total budget.

  4. Age: up to 18 years. The claim ends with the 18th birthday of the child. For the school year in which the 18th birthday falls, transitional rules apply for some BuT benefits — for participation, however, the 18-years limit is usually clear.

  5. Free choice of provider. Club, music school, private provider, municipal institution — anything is permitted that fits the purposes under § 28 Abs. 7 SGB II. The Jobcenter may not tie you to a "positive list".

  6. Duty of the Jobcenter to cooperate (§ 14 SGB I). If evidence is missing, the Jobcenter must advise you, not reject. If for example it requests a confirmation from the club, it must set an appropriate deadline and support you.

  7. Right of objection (§ 84 SGG). Against any rejection you can file a written objection (Widerspruch). The period is one month from notification. If a correct instruction on legal remedies is missing in the decision, you have one year.

Current case law

On the participation flat rate there is by now a series of decisions of the Social Courts. Clear line: the flat rate of 15 euros is not a maximum amount in the sense of a rejection threshold. If the actual costs are higher, the need still has to be covered up to the amount of the flat rate. [URTEIL-REFERENZ]

On cumulation too, courts have repeatedly held: the monthly individual view contradicts the purpose of the law. Anyone who wants to finance a holiday camp or an annual club fee may accumulate the monthly flat rates. [URTEIL-REFERENZ]

The Federal Social Court (Bundessozialgericht) has further emphasised on education and participation in general that benefit providers must assess individually and may not refer flatly to internal administrative guidelines. Decisions that cling stubbornly to a monthly cap and refuse cumulation usually do not stand up to a court review. [URTEIL-REFERENZ]

How to proceed now

  1. Note the deadline. Date on the decision plus one month. That is the most important number. After expiry the decision is final.

  2. Collect documents. Confirmation of the club or music school with (a) name and age of the child, (b) type of activity, (c) amount and period of the costs, (d) bank details for the direct transfer. Many clubs have a BuT form for this — just ask at the office.

  3. File objection in writing. One sentence is enough to meet the deadline: "Gegen Ihren Bescheid vom [Datum], Aktenzeichen [AZ], lege ich hiermit Widerspruch ein. Die Begründung reiche ich nach." By registered mail, fax or in person against an entry stamp.

  4. Submit the reasoning later. Address the rejection point by point. Does it say "15 euros is not enough"? Then refer to the cost-share principle (or subsidy principle up to the amount of the flat rate). Does it say "no cumulation"? Then enclose the annual fee as evidence and refer to the case law on the annual view.

  5. Request direct transfer. Write expressly: "Please transfer the approved benefit directly to the club at the following bank details: [...]". This avoids the Jobcenter later demanding repayment because you had the sum paid out to yourself.

  6. In urgent cases: emergency motion at the Social Court. If the holiday camp or the club registration deadline is pressing, an interim legal protection (einstweiliger Rechtsschutz) under § 86b SGG is possible — in parallel to the objection.

Typical mistakes to avoid

  • Missing the deadline. The most common and most consequential trap. File the objection immediately, even without a finished reasoning.

  • Paying the bill yourself and submitting it later. The benefit should go directly to the club. Anyone who pays themselves and applies for reimbursement often gets nothing back in practice. Exception: you have a written assurance from the Jobcenter.

  • Accepting "all or nothing". If the costs are higher than 15 euros per month, the right answer is not rejection but proportional coverage. Anyone who does not know this gives up real money.

  • Speaking with the Jobcenter only orally. Phone calls are legally worthless. Always in writing and verifiable.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get the annual fee of 180 euros for my son's football club in one sum?

Yes. That is the classic case of cumulation. The 15 euros per month are added up over twelve months and transferred in one sum directly to the club. You only need to document the annual fee (invoice or club confirmation) and apply in writing.

My child wants to attend music school — the lessons cost 40 euros per month. Do I get nothing at all?

You do — you get 15 euros per month as a subsidy directly to the music school. The difference of 25 euros you have to bear yourself. A complete rejection is unlawful. If the Jobcenter writes "15 euros is not enough", file an objection and refer to § 28 Abs. 7 SGB II.

My child is 17 and will come of age next year. Can I still apply now?

Yes, as long as your child is not yet 18. The claim ends with the 18th birthday. For the period until then you can apply for the participation benefit proportionally — for example for the half year still 90 euros annual share.

Does the benefit also apply to course fees, or only to club memberships?

Both. § 28 Abs. 7 SGB II covers membership fees as well as lessons in artistic subjects and guided activities. Music school, dance school, art classes, theatre groups — all covered. If the decision says "only memberships", that is a typical objection ground.

What happens if my child changes the club after three months?

Then the benefit is usually continued proportionally for the new club. Decisive is the approval period. Inform the Jobcenter in writing about the change so that the direct transfer can be adjusted.

Have your decision reviewed now

A rejection of the participation benefit need not be the final word. Most decisions rely on outdated wording or blanket reasoning that does not stand up to a careful examination. We look at what is in your decision — and whether an objection is worth it.

We review your decision within 5 minutes. Free and non-binding.

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