Costs for maintenance of a gas boiler must be borne by ARGE

As the Social Court of Augsburg now decided in a judgment (AZ: S 9 AS 271/07), recipients of unemployment benefit II do not have to finance the costs of maintaining a floor heating from the standard rate.The costs for heating and accommodation, as the social court decided, must be borne by the responsible authority, provided that maintenance is required in the rental agreement.

In the specific case, a recipient of unemployment benefit II requests the assumption of the maintenance costs for a gas boiler of 77 euros.However, the authority dismissed the payment.The ARGE was of the opinion that the amount must be saved from the standard rate.After all, the standard rate would also consider expenses to maintain the apartment.The complaint submitted was successful.The judge believed that the maintenance costs for the gas boiler would be expenditure on heating and accommodation and, as the ARGE, would be maintenance costs.Therefore, the ARGE must also cover the maintenance costs.In the case, the case was added that the applicant's housing costs were also below the adequacy limit.