Integration assistance for people with disabilities (social assistance)

The services provided under the Integration Assistance program are intended to enable people with significant disabilities to participate fully in all areas of social life.

Integration assistance benefits are divided into 4 benefit groups:

• Medical rehabilitation services
• Services for participation in education
• Services for participation in working life
• Services for social participation

These services are designed to enable you to shape your life as independently and autonomously as possible. The following integration assistance services, for example, can contribute to this:

• Housing
• Finances
• Household Management
• Leisure Activities
• Support for personal relationships and hobbies
• Dealing with government agencies (preparation and support), unless this is the responsibility of a legal guardian
• Mobility
• Parental assistance
• Support at school, college, or for continuing professional education
• Support at daycare
• Assistive devices
• Promoting Communication
• Employment
• Special housing arrangements

Services are tailored to individual needs.

You are eligible for integration assistance services provided that you do not already receive the necessary services from other social service or rehabilitation providers, such as your health insurance provider, pension insurance provider, the Employment Agency, or your workers’ compensation insurer.

The costs for the services are covered by the responsible integration assistance provider. The federal states determine which entity serves as the integration assistance provider.

For integration assistance benefits, you are generally required to make a contribution based on your income and, if applicable, your assets, provided they exceed a set threshold. The income and assets of the person with a disability receiving benefits are relevant here; for minor beneficiaries, the parents’ income and assets are also considered. Some benefits are provided free of charge, such as special education services, educational support, and social participation services for eligible individuals who have not yet started school.

• You must submit an application to the appropriate agency. The application does not need to be in a specific format.
• Please contact the relevant agency to find out what additional documents you need to submit. The agency may ask you to use a specific form.

Depending on the circumstances, you may need, for example,

• proof of disability
• all proof of income
• Proof of housing costs and proof of assets (bank statement)

There are no costs.

If the authority was unable to provide an urgent service in a timely manner and you incurred costs as a result of obtaining the service on your own, the authority must reimburse you for those costs, provided the service was necessary. The same applies if the authority wrongfully denied a service.

If you arrange for a non-essential service yourself without prior approval from the competent authority, you are not entitled to reimbursement.

If, after review of your application, you are found to be eligible for integration assistance, it will be granted to you no earlier than the first day of the month in which the application was submitted, provided that the eligibility requirements were already met at that time.

To ensure the most effective support for the person with a disability, the social welfare agency will develop a comprehensive plan for the implementation of the individual services as early as possible, in collaboration with the person with a disability, the attending physician, the public health department, and, if necessary, the youth welfare office or the employment agency.

The processing time for your application depends on various factors. Please contact your responsible integration assistance provider, who will be able to give you more detailed information on the duration of the procedure.

However, the authority to which you have submitted your application must determine whether it is responsible for your application within 2 weeks of receiving it. If the authority is not responsible, it will forward your application to the competent authority without delay. You will be informed of the forwarding.

If the authority does not forward your application, it must determine and provide your need for support as quickly as possible.

If an expert opinion is required to determine your needs, the authority must make a decision within 2 weeks of receiving the expert opinion.

If the authority is not required to obtain an expert opinion, it must make a decision within 3 weeks of receiving your application.