Short answer
Low income with rent to pay: check Wohngeld, and with children also the Kinderzuschlag. Not enough to live on at all: Grundsicherungsgeld from the Jobcenter, which replaced Bürgergeld from 1 July 2026. In training or at university: BAföG. Each has an official check, linked below; only the responsible office decides.State support Germany
Which state support could I be entitled to?
This page computes none of these. Each depends on rules and figures only the responsible office applies, so it points to the official checks instead.Wohngeld
A housing allowance for people whose income covers their living costs but not the rent as well, from the local Wohngeld office. The federal ministry's Wohngeld-Plus calculator gives a first, non-binding estimate.
Kinderzuschlag
Up to 297 euro a month per child on top of Kindergeld, for parents whose income covers themselves but not their children fully, from the Familienkasse. The KiZ-Lotse checks whether a claim is likely; it does not compute the amount.
Grundsicherungsgeld
Basic income support for people able to work whose household cannot cover its needs, from the Jobcenter. It replaced Bürgergeld from 1 July 2026. The Bundesagentur für Arbeit explains the conditions, income and savings rules and the application.
BAföG
Support for school pupils and students, partly as a grant and partly as an interest-free loan, from the BAföG office. The official BAföG calculator estimates a claim without registration.