Bescheid über Arbeitslosengeld (Agentur für Arbeit)
Arbeitslosengeld Bescheid: how to read it and how to object within one month
From: Your local Agentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency)
The Bescheid is the agency's written decision on your application for Arbeitslosengeld (unemployment benefit). It says if you get money, how much, and for how long. It also tells you how to object.
Got this letter? Get your personal explanation.Take a photo. See your deadline, amount, and next steps, in your language. First letter free.Why you got this letter
- You applied for Arbeitslosengeld after losing a job.
- The agency changed the amount (an Aufhebungsbescheid) because something changed.
- The agency says you got money you must repay (an Aufhebungs- und Erstattungsbescheid).
What to do
- 1Read the Bescheid carefully, especially the amount and the reasons.
- 2Write down the date you received it. The objection period is one month.
- 3Check your personal data, your end of employment, the daily amount, and the number of days.
- 4If something is unclear, ask the agency for a conversation. This does not replace a formal objection.
- 5If you disagree, file a Widerspruch in time (see below).
- 6Report changes, for example starting work or moving, with the Änderungsmitteilung form.
- 7If you must repay money, pay by the deadline in the Bescheid, or contact the agency.
Deadline
One month to object, counted from the day the Bescheid is considered delivered. Repayment deadlines are stated in the Bescheid.
If you do nothing
If you do not object in time, the decision generally becomes final. If you do not repay a demanded amount on time, the Inkasso-Service of the Federal Employment Agency handles the claim.
Can you object?
Yes. File a Widerspruch within one month after the Bescheid is delivered. Send it to the Agentur für Arbeit that issued it, or go there in person and have it written down and signed. Post counts as delivered on the fourth day after posting (§ 37 SGB X). Missing the deadline means the objection will be rejected. If it is rejected, you can sue, as the Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung says.
Words in this letter
- Bescheid
- A written decision.
- Arbeitslosengeld (ALG I)
- Unemployment insurance benefit.
- Widerspruch
- A formal objection.
- Sperrzeit
- A period in which your benefit is paused, for example if you quit without a good reason.
- Aufhebungs- und Erstattungsbescheid
- A decision that cancels an earlier one and asks you to repay money.
- Änderungsmitteilung
- A form to report changes.
Example reply
Object (Widerspruch) to the Arbeitslosengeld Bescheid.
[Vor- und Nachname]
[Anschrift]
Kundennummer: [Kundennummer]
An: [Agentur für Arbeit, Adresse laut Bescheid]
[Ort], [Datum]
Betreff: Widerspruch gegen den Bescheid vom [Datum], Kundennummer [Kundennummer]
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
hiermit lege ich Widerspruch gegen Ihren Bescheid vom [Datum] ein.
Begründung: [zum Beispiel: Das Arbeitsentgelt wurde falsch berechnet. / Die Sperrzeit ist nicht gerechtfertigt, weil ich einen wichtigen Grund hatte, nämlich [Grund]. Nachweise liegen bei.]
Bitte bestätigen Sie mir den Eingang meines Widerspruchs schriftlich.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
[Unterschrift]
[Vor- und Nachname]Show English translation
[Full name] [Address] Customer number: [customer number] To: [Agentur für Arbeit, address as on the decision] [Place], [date] Subject: Objection to the decision dated [date], customer number [number] Dear Sir or Madam, I hereby object to your decision dated [date]. Reasons: [for example: My earnings were calculated wrongly. / The blocking period is not justified because I had an important reason, namely [reason]. Proof is attached.] Please confirm in writing that you received my objection. Kind regards [Signature] [Full name]
Questions people ask
How much Arbeitslosengeld will I get?
It is 67 percent of your flat-rate net pay (Leistungsentgelt) if you or your spouse or partner have at least one qualifying child (details in § 149 SGB III), and 60 percent for everyone else. The Bescheid shows your exact daily amount.
How long can I get it?
It depends on how long you were insured and on your age. For example, 12 months of insured employment gives 6 months of benefit, 24 months gives 12 months. You generally need at least 12 months in an insured employment. The Bescheid states your duration.
What is a Sperrzeit?
A period in which your Arbeitslosengeld is paused because the agency says you acted against the insurance rules without an important reason. For example, 12 weeks if you ended your job, 1 week for a missed appointment or for registering late as a job seeker, or 2 weeks for not enough job search efforts. Refusing a job or a measure can lead to 3, 6 or 12 weeks.
When must I register?
Register as job-seeking up to three months before your job or training ends. If you learn it later, within three days. Register as unemployed no later than your first day of unemployment.
Sources
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit: Arbeitslosengeld, den Bescheid verstehen
- § 149 SGB III (Grundsatz, Höhe)
- § 159 SGB III (Ruhen bei Sperrzeit)
- § 38 SGB III (Rechtzeitige Meldung)
Updated 2026-10-20. This page explains a common type of letter; it is not legal advice. Your letter may differ, so check its dates and amounts.