North Rhine-Westphalia: Hartz IV for tens of thousands of Ukraine refugees in NRW

Refugees from Ukraine have been able to apply for basic security since the beginning of June.

North Rhine-Westphalia: Hartz IV for tens of thousands of Ukraine refugees in NRW

Refugees from Ukraine have been able to apply for basic security since the beginning of June. Demand is already high in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - In the job centers in North Rhine-Westphalia, tens of thousands of Hartz IV applications from refugees from the Ukraine have already been approved. According to the latest figures from the NRW Ministry of Labor, around 56,000 applications from people with Ukrainian nationality were approved in the first two weeks of June, as a spokesman for the German Press Agency in Düsseldorf announced. Since the beginning of June, refugees from the Ukraine have been able to apply for basic security.

With the change, the refugees no longer receive financial aid via the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act, but via the Social Security Code II. In order to apply for Hartz IV at the job centers, refugees must already be registered in Germany and have a valid residence permit. The ministry assumes that further applications will be approved "to a large extent" in the coming weeks.

According to estimates by the Federal Employment Agency, people can be qualified and placed more easily as a result of the change. "It's good that people can come directly to us in the job center because we can offer help from a single source," said a spokesman for the Federal Employment Agency. "It's not just about the finances, but also, for example, support when looking for language courses, further education or kindergarten places."