ABSTRACT
Germany is the largest country in the European Union and has undergone profound political, administrative and economic change as a result of the reintegration of former East Germany into the Federal Republic. Sozialhilfe is regulated by the German Constitution/Basic Law, the Federal Sozialhilfe Act (BSHG) and the Social Code. There are different types of support within the Sozialhilfe scheme, all of which are dependent on the existence and assessment of ‘need’. The funding of Sozialhilfe is almost entirely the responsibility of local authorities who cover, on average, about 80 per cent of the costs and Lander who cover about 20 per cent of the costs, with variations between Lander stipulated by Land governments. In order to achieve the aims of Sozialhilfe the BSHG commits welfare offices to advise claimants of their rights. Studies show that a major aim of the scheme, to enable recipients to overcome the dependence on Sozialhilfe, is actually achieved by the large majority of claimants.
