Integration assistance under SGB IX: benefits and responsibility

Legal status: 08.10.2026 (federal law, checked against the statutory text). Who is responsible in your federal state is determined by state law. The versions in force at the time of your application are decisive. Legal terms are translated here for understanding; the German wording of the law is what counts.

Who can receive benefits

Integration assistance benefits go to people with disabilities within the meaning of section 2 para. 1 SGB IX who are substantially restricted in equal participation in society or threatened by such a substantial disability. This applies if and as long as, given the particularities of the individual case, there is a prospect that the task of integration assistance can be fulfilled. ^[5] People are threatened by a substantial disability if the onset of a substantial disability is to be expected with high probability according to professional knowledge. ^[5] People with other intellectual, mental, physical or sensory impairments that, in interaction with barriers, restrict their equal participation can receive benefits. ^[5]

The provision does not name autism. What matters is whether there is a substantial restriction of participation in the individual case; this is established in the procedure. On the degree of disability: Severe disability card and GdB.

Which benefits there are

The integration assistance benefits comprise ^[6]:

1. benefits for medical rehabilitation,
2. benefits for participation in working life,
3. benefits for participation in education,
4. benefits for social participation.

The SGB IX as a whole recognises five groups of benefits: medical rehabilitation, participation in working life, income-securing and other supplementary benefits, participation in education and social participation. ^[1] The benefits under 1 to 3 take precedence over the benefits for social participation. ^[6] The law names particular tasks for each area: medical rehabilitation is meant to avert, eliminate, reduce or compensate for impairments and to make those entitled as independent of care as possible. Participation in working life is meant to promote taking up, carrying out and securing suitable employment. Participation in education is meant to enable schooling appropriate to abilities and school and university education and training. Social participation is meant to enable or facilitate equal participation in community life. ^[3]

Examples from education and social participation

• Participation in education: help with schooling (including all-day programmes in the open form), curative education and other measures that enable or facilitate school attendance, help with school or university education or training, aids that are necessary for participation in education because of the health impairment. The guidance and support needed at school or university because of the disability can be provided to several people entitled to benefits together, as far as this is reasonable. ^[7] More on this: Applying for a school support worker.
• Social participation: in particular benefits for housing, assistance services, curative education services, benefits to acquire and maintain practical knowledge and skills, benefits to promote communication, benefits for mobility, aids and visiting allowances. ^[8]

Who is responsible

• The states determine the providers. The states determine the integration assistance providers responsible for implementation. ^[4] Who that is for you, you can find out from an advice centre or the local authority.
• Integration assistance as rehabilitation provider. The integration assistance providers are rehabilitation providers for benefits for medical rehabilitation, for participation in working life, for participation in education and for social participation. ^[2] The providers of public youth welfare are so for the same groups of benefits, as far as youth welfare is responsible. ^[2]
• Other providers. For individual groups of benefits, for example health insurers, the Federal Employment Agency or the pension insurance may be responsible. ^[2] How responsibility is checked in an application: Applying and filing an objection.

What else you should know

• Children and adolescents with a mental disability: The youth welfare office may be responsible here (section 35a SGB VIII).
• Benefits as money: On application, a personal budget may come into question.
• Independent advice before applying: Finding advice.
• Not covered: needs assessment, counting of income and assets (contribution), right to express wishes and choose, benefits for forms of housing in detail, work in workshops.

Sources and literature

1. § 5 SGB IX – Leistungsgruppen (www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_9_2018/__5.html). – Statute (German federal law, in German)
2. § 6 SGB IX – Rehabilitationsträger (www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_9_2018/__6.html). – Statute (German federal law, in German)
3. § 90 SGB IX – Aufgabe der Eingliederungshilfe (www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_9_2018/__90.html). – Statute (German federal law, in German)
4. § 94 SGB IX – Aufgaben der Länder (www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_9_2018/__94.html). – Statute (German federal law, in German)
5. § 99 SGB IX – Leistungsberechtigung (www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_9_2018/__99.html). – Statute (German federal law, in German)
6. § 102 SGB IX – Leistungen der Eingliederungshilfe (www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_9_2018/__102.html). – Statute (German federal law, in German)
7. § 112 SGB IX – Leistungen zur Teilhabe an Bildung (www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_9_2018/__112.html). – Statute (German federal law, in German)
8. § 113 SGB IX – Leistungen zur Sozialen Teilhabe (www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_9_2018/__113.html). – Statute (German federal law, in German)