Initial Furnishing on U25 Move-Out: Furniture and Kitchen from the Jobcenter

You are under 25, finally moving into your first own apartment — and the Jobcenter refuses the initial furnishing (Erstausstattung). Often with a single sentence: "The move is not necessary, therefore there is no initial furnishing either." Or: "Your parents have furniture, you can take that with you." That leaves you facing empty walls and bare floorboards. This page shows when an approved under-25 move-out (Auszug) additionally entitles you to furniture, kitchen and small electrical goods — and how to defend yourself against refusals and token flat rates.

The Most Important Points in 30 Seconds

• With an approved move-out from the parental home, persons under 25 are entitled under § 24 Abs. 3 Nr. 1 SGB II to initial furnishing (Erstausstattung) for the apartment — in addition to the standard need (Regelbedarf).
• Precondition is the assurance (Zusicherung) of the move under § 22 Abs. 5 SGB II. Without the assurance there is no housing costs (Kosten der Unterkunft, KdU) and as a rule no initial furnishing either.
• Initial furnishing covers furniture, kitchen and small electrical goods — not just a kitchen unit. Flat rates of 300 € "kitchen only" are usually too low.
• References to "furnishings in the parental home" are legally questionable: parents do not have to empty out their own apartment.
• Against a refusal or a too-tight flat rate you can file an objection within one month.

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

Why Does This Happen?

SGB II treats people under 25 particularly strictly on the housing question. The reason is § 22 Abs. 5 SGB II: anyone under 25 who lives with their parents only has rent and heating covered if the Jobcenter has agreed in advance to the move. This is called assurance (Zusicherung). Without it, the rule is: no KdU, no new apartment and, as a consequence, regularly no initial furnishing either.

The second hurdle follows directly: § 24 Abs. 3 Nr. 1 SGB II — initial furnishing for the apartment — is a one-off benefit (einmalige Leistung) in addition to the standard need (Regelbedarf) (563 € for single persons, as of 2025). It must be applied for separately. Many Jobcenters tie their decision to the moving permission: if the move is not "necessary", in their view the initial furnishing falls away too. Others recognise the assurance but pay only a symbolic flat rate — frequently 300 € "for the kitchen unit" — and assert that everything else can be brought along from the parental home.

Concrete example — Jonas, 21, student:

Jonas has finished training and a side job in his home town and is starting university with parallel employment in another city — 180 km away. He obtains the assurance for the move-out (a job change is a recognised ground for necessity). The Jobcenter approves the move and covers cold rent and heating. With the initial furnishing, however, comes the shock: 300 € flat for a kitchen unit is granted. Furniture is supposedly available with the parents and can be taken along. In fact Jonas only used a bed and a desk in the parental home — his parents need their furnishings going forward. What is missing: refrigerator, stove, washing machine, wardrobe, dining table, chairs, sofa, lamps, curtains. Equivalent value: 1,200–1,800 € depending on the municipal flat rate. The Jobcenter pays only a fraction of that — and an objection will pay off.

Your Rights in Concrete Terms

1. The assurance under § 22 Abs. 5 SGB II is the entry ticket. For persons under 25 the assurance (Zusicherung) (the Jobcenter's written agreement to the move) is the formal precondition for any further benefit. Once it is in place you have cleared the hurdle. The assurance is granted in cases of serious social grounds, of integration into the labour market (training, university, job change) or of similarly weighty grounds.

2. Initial furnishing under § 24 Abs. 3 Satz 1 Nr. 1 SGB II. When the move is approved, a new household is, in legal terms, founded. That is precisely the situation that § 24 Abs. 3 Nr. 1 SGB II protects: initial furnishing for the apartment including household appliances. It is a separate benefit, not contained in the standard need (Regelbedarf) — you do not have to save up for it.

3. What is included. The Sozialgerichte have developed a basic-furnishing catalogue. Typical items:

• Kitchen: refrigerator, stove (or hotplates), sink/worktop, dishes, cutlery, pots, pans, small appliances such as a kettle
• Sleeping: bed, slatted base, mattress, bedding, bed linen
• Living: table, chairs, a wardrobe, a seating option
• Household appliances: washing machine (under case law regularly basic equipment, not comfort)
• Small items: lamps, curtains, cleaning supplies, basic bathroom equipment

4. Flat rate versus actual costs. Municipalities handle this differently — there is no nationwide flat rate. Many cities work with municipal guidelines: e.g. 900 € for a single household when moving out of the parental home. Some differentiate: base flat rate + supplement for kitchen + supplement for household appliances. Others demand an itemised list with price evidence.

A pure 300 € flat rate "for the kitchen unit" is rarely appropriate when nothing other than the kitchen exists. If the flat rate is demonstrably too low, you can claim concrete additional costs and insist on an itemised list.

5. "Furnishings in the parental home" — limits of the argument. The Jobcenter may not point you to the idea that your parents should clear out their apartment. Parental furniture serves the parental household. What you personally used at your parents' (an old bed, a discarded refrigerator) can be taken into account — but only if it is actually available and reasonably usable. Flat references ("there is always something in such a household") do not hold up.

6. Application before the purchase. Initial furnishing must be applied for before the acquisition. Anyone who first buys everything and then demands reimbursement stands legally weaker — although there are exceptions in acute emergencies.

Current Case Law

The Bundessozialgericht has interpreted the concept of initial furnishing in a needs-based way: what matters is not whether someone is buying furniture for the first time in life but whether basic furnishings are missing in the specific household. A move out of the parental home is generally regarded as the first establishment of an own household and thus triggers the entitlement ([URTEIL-REFERENZ]).

It is likewise settled that a washing machine belongs to the basic furnishing and may not be dismissed as a mere comfort item — in particular not with the hint that one could use a launderette ([URTEIL-REFERENZ]).

On municipal flat rates the case law has clarified: flat rates are in principle permissible but must not systematically fall short of actual need. Where the regional flat rate is recognisably below the prices customary on the market for basic furnishing, a top-up in the individual case is required ([URTEIL-REFERENZ]).

On the reference to "furnishings in the parental home" it is recognised that the parental household need not be "looted". Only items already used exclusively by the young adult moving out and whose removal does not impair the parents' way of life are reasonable to take along.

How to Proceed Now

1. Have the assurance ready. Before applying for initial furnishing, the assurance under § 22 Abs. 5 SGB II must be in place. Without it, the initial furnishing hangs in the air. If no assurance is yet on file, deal with that step first.

2. Write a needs list. Go room by room through your future apartment. What is missing? List everything — from the mattress and the refrigerator to curtains and a cleaning bucket. The more concrete your list, the harder it is for the Jobcenter to cut by flat rate.

3. Document prices. Print out online offers (e.g. budget furniture stores, electronics retailers, second-hand portals). The Jobcenter may demand simple execution — but not "for nothing". Benchmark: solid basic furnishing at customary market prices.

4. Submit the application in writing. "I hereby apply for initial furnishing of the apartment under § 24 Abs. 3 Satz 1 Nr. 1 SGB II. I refer to the assurance dated [date]. The needs list is attached." Hand it in against an entry stamp or by recorded delivery.

5. Check the decision. When the decision arrives, compare the approved sum with your list. Was only a flat rate for the kitchen granted? Are pieces of furniture missing? Was reference made to "the parental home"? All of these are points of attack.

6. Objection within one month. Informal ("I hereby file an objection against the decision dated …") — submit the reasoning later. Attach your needs list with price evidence. Argue per item.

Avoid Typical Mistakes

• Simply moving without an assurance. Without prior agreement under § 22 Abs. 5 SGB II the Jobcenter pays neither rent nor initial furnishing. Subsequent healing is difficult and often impossible.
• Applying for initial furnishing orally. "Yes, we'll take a look" at the counter is legally nothing. Submit the application in writing with a date and a signature.
• Buying furniture before approval. Anyone who first fills the IKEA cart and only then waits for the decision often gets approved only what has already happened — or nothing at all. Approval first, then purchase.
• Accepting a token flat rate without objection. 300 € for "kitchen unit" and nothing else is, in a completely empty household, generally too little. Do not respond to the decision with a shrug — file the objection.

Frequently Asked Questions

As an under-25 student, am I entitled to Bürgergeld and initial furnishing at all?

That depends on your form of education. BAföG-eligible students are in principle excluded from Bürgergeld (§ 7 Abs. 5 SGB II). Exceptions exist, for instance if you are employed in a position subject to social-security contributions alongside your studies and the income does not cover your need, or in hardship loan cases. If you are receiving Bürgergeld or top-up benefits, you are entitled to initial furnishing under § 24 Abs. 3 SGB II once the move is approved.

How high is initial furnishing in reality?

This varies considerably by municipality. Typical ranges for a single household at first move-out lie between 800 € and 1,500 €. Many municipalities pay more if large household appliances (refrigerator, stove, washing machine) are additionally evidenced. 300 € "kitchen unit only" is generally clearly too low if otherwise nothing is on hand.

What if my parents really do have a spare old bed?

Then it is reasonable to take that bed along — initial furnishing for a new bed falls away on this point. But this only applies to items you yourself used and whose removal takes nothing away from the parental household. No one has to dismantle their parents' couch just because it is "there".

Can I receive initial furnishing as a voucher?

Yes, vouchers are permitted under § 24 Abs. 3 Satz 5 SGB II. The Jobcenter may not, however, send you to a single, distant or overpriced shop. With the voucher actual need must be coverable. If that is not the case, you can insist on a cash benefit.

Do I have to repay the initial furnishing if I move out again?

No, initial furnishing is a grant, not a loan. It is granted once and belongs to you. It is different with a deposit for the apartment: the Jobcenter usually pays this as a loan to be repaid under § 22 Abs. 6 SGB II.

Have Your Decision Reviewed Now

The combination U25 + initial furnishing is one of the most frequent points of conflict on moving out of the parental home. It often concerns 500 to 1,500 € that you are entitled to — and that, in your first apartment, quickly make the difference between "empty" and "habitable". Send us your assurance decision and the decision on the initial furnishing. We will tell you within 5 minutes whether an objection has prospects of success.

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