Who is responsible for the payment?

Question

Recently, I lost my mother in the month of April. We have paid for the funeral ceremony from our own pocket. But a man from the funeral ceremony informed that I must go with the receipt to the job center and the job center must pay us back. Recently job center informed us that we must go to the Rathaus as they are responsible and not the Rathaus. Could someone help me out in this situation?

Answer 1

Dear @Sidra, 

First of all, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. May your happy memories give you peace and confort during this challenging time. 

I can understand that it is even more difficult to deal with these bureaucratic issues now. To be honest, I never had to deal with a similar question. But I assume that the responsibility for the payment is dependent on the funding agency which was supporting your mother/is supporting you as her family. If you are receiving asylum seekers allowance, the job center is most probably right saying that the "Sozialamt"/Rathaus is responsible. If you hold an actual residence permit and get supported by the job center already, they might be the right address to apply for the reimbursement. 

Can you add some information here dear @mbeon-Éanna? 

All the best, 

Meike

Comments

Hi @Sidra 

Like my colleague @Meike, I am also sorry to read of your loss. 

The office which may be able to cover some or all of the costs is your local Sozialamt. This is presumably what was meant by the Rathaus. 

It is not a requirement that your mother was receiving social welfare benefits before. What matters is whether the costs can be covered by a person’s estate (i.e. any assets and money they have at time of death) or by the person otherwise obliged (usually the inheritor, in German ‘Erbe’). If they cannot be covered, then the Sozialamt has to pay for some or all of the costs. 

You have to make an application in writing with your local Sozialamt. You will need to provide proof of both your mother’s prior financial situation and you current financial situation. This article (in English via online translation) provides a good overview to how the application works: 

https://***-betanet-de.translate.goog/bestattungskosten-sozialhilfe.html?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp 

Best, 

Éanna

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Thank you so much for clarification, dear @mbeon-Éanna! Very helpful information! Best, Meike

Answer 2

My mom used to get a minimum amount from the job center but the job center sometimes used to stop the payment for my mother's health insurance despite of informing the job center and the health insurance that my mother had chronic health issues and cannot work. However, my father and I don't receive anything from the job center. Recently, I have successfully completed my Ausbildung. I have funded the funeral ceremony of my mother with my own pocket. I hate to say this German bureaucracy system and the health care system is actually worse.