Money during training: unemployment benefit and allowances

When people think about further training, they ask about the course and the fee first. With an education voucher, the fee is usually settled, because the employment agency pays it directly to the training provider. The question that keeps many people awake is a different one: will there be enough money for rent, food and travel while you are learning instead of working?

The good news: the law provides several benefits for this period. Which of them apply to you is decided solely by the employment agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or the job centre (Jobcenter). This article shows which benefits exist under the current wording of the law, so you can ask the right questions in your advice meeting. It is not legal or financial advice.

Unemployment benefit for vocational training

If you are unemployed, you normally have to be available for job offers. During a full-time course, that is hardly possible. So that you are not disadvantaged, there is unemployment benefit for vocational training under section 144 SGB III. It is paid even if you do not meet the conditions for regular unemployment benefit solely because of the funded training.

People who were not unemployed before the course can also receive it. The law names two cases: at the start of the course you would still have an entitlement to unemployment benefit that is neither used up nor expired, or you would have completed the qualifying period on the first day of the course. The first day of the course then counts as the day you registered as unemployed.

According to leaflet 6 of the Federal Employment Agency, the rules for unemployment benefit continue to apply unchanged during training. The amount does not change just because you are learning.

What happens to your entitlement period

This is an advantage many people do not know about. Under section 148 (1) no. 7 SGB III, your entitlement period is reduced by one day for every two days on which you receive unemployment benefit for training. A four-month course therefore uses up only two months of your entitlement.

Two further rules protect you:

• At least three months remain: there is no reduction where it would leave an entitlement period of less than three months (section 148 (2) SGB III).
• Top-up after long courses: if you were funded for at least six months and less than three months of your entitlement remain, the period is extended once to three months (section 148 (3) SGB III).

If you do not find a job straight after the course, you usually still have some time to search. Only the employment agency can tell you exactly how many days you have left.

Training allowance and bonuses for a vocational qualification

If your training leads to a qualification in a recognised occupation with a regular training period of at least two years, typically retraining, section 87a SGB III provides additional benefits:

• Training allowance: unemployed participants receive an additional monthly payment of 150 euros (section 87a (2)).
• Bonus for the intermediate exam: 1,000 euros after passing the intermediate exam or the first part of a split final exam, if the training regulations provide for one (section 87a (1) no. 1).
• Bonus for the final exam: 1,500 euros after passing the final exam (section 87a (1) no. 2).

To receive a bonus, you must give the employment agency proof from the examining body, for example a copy of the chamber certificate. Shorter courses that end with a certificate do not come with a training allowance or bonuses. Check before you start whether your course counts.

If you receive basic income support (formerly Bürgergeld)

Since 01.07.2026, basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld) has replaced Bürgergeld. For training, something important changed even earlier: since 01.01.2025, the employment agency decides on and funds training for job centre clients too. According to leaflet 6, your job centre identifies the need and checks your suitability in advance; the employment agency then advises you and makes the final assessment.

For your living costs: basic income support continues to be paid during funded training as long as you meet the conditions. For training leading to a vocational qualification, section 87a (3) SGB III grants the training allowance even if you also have a job.

The former Bürgergeld bonus no longer exists; the rule in section 16j SGB II has been repealed. Whether the training allowance or bonuses are offset against your basic income support is a question for your adviser. We have no reliable statement on this from the text of the law.

Which other costs can be covered

The education voucher covers more than the course fee. Under section 83 SGB III, training costs also include travel costs, costs of accommodation and meals away from home, and childcare costs.

The key word is "can": most of these benefits are not automatic entitlements but are approved case by case. Accommodation away from home, for example, is only covered if it is necessary. According to leaflet 6, a Deutschlandticket can also be reimbursed if no cheaper ticket is possible. For childcare there is a separate questionnaire, available from the employment agency.

Side jobs and mini-jobs during the course

Many people want to keep their mini-job. That is not forbidden, but it has consequences: side income is offset against unemployment benefit. Section 155 SGB III sets an allowance of 165 euros a month, calculated after deducting taxes, social security contributions and work-related expenses. Payments from an employer or the training provider because you take part are offset after an allowance of 400 euros a month (section 155 (3) SGB III).

Different rules apply to basic income support. Report every side job in advance and ask your adviser how it affects you. Also make sure the working hours do not clash with your classes.

Our tip: clarify everything before you start

The benefits depend heavily on your situation, and the rules have changed several times in recent years. Take a short list to your advice meeting:

1. Will I receive unemployment benefit for training or basic income support during the course, and how much?
2. How many days of entitlement will I probably have left after the course?
3. Does the course lead to a vocational qualification, so that the training allowance and bonuses could apply?
4. Which travel costs are reimbursed, and do I need proof?
5. Is childcare covered, and which form do I need?
6. What happens to my mini-job?

Ask for the answers in writing if possible, or note them down during the meeting. Never resign from an existing job on your own initiative because of a course; the Federal Employment Agency explicitly points this out as well.

How to prepare the meeting as a whole is explained in the article Continuing education while unemployed. You will find suitable funded courses in the course finder. If you have questions about a course, book an appointment with us. We help you choose a course; the authority decides on the money.