Getting Kinderzuschlag in Berlin? A Second, Separate Benefit Just Opened Up, But You Have to Ask for It
Families in Berlin receiving Kinderzuschlag, or Wohngeld, unlock eligibility for a second, separate set of benefits called Bildung und Teilhabe (BuT), the education and participation package, covering things like school lunch costs, tutoring, sports or music club membership fees, school trip costs, and a twice-yearly allowance for school supplies. The catch worth knowing upfront: unlike recipients of Bürgergeld (called Arbeitslosengeld II until the end of 2022), whose main benefit application has counted as the BuT application since the 2019 Starke-Familien-Gesetz (tutoring, Lernförderung, still needs its own application), Kinderzuschlag and Wohngeld families in Berlin don't get that same exception. Berlin's own official BuT service page is explicit that recipients of Wohngeld and/or Kinderzuschlag specifically must file their own application for BuT benefits. Since 2024, Berlin has made this genuinely easier: a separate online application specifically for Wohngeld and Kinderzuschlag recipients is now available through the ServicePortal Berlin, processed by the district office handling housing benefits, rather than requiring a paper form mailed or dropped off in person.
The Official Rule
Getting approved for Kinderzuschlag feels like the end of a genuinely long process, gathering income documentation, waiting out processing times, possibly appealing a rejection. What a lot of Berlin families don’t realize is that approval opens the door to a second, entirely separate benefit that requires its own action to actually claim.
Kinderzuschlag (and Wohngeld) recipients become eligible for Bildung und Teilhabe (BuT), the education and participation package, according to the Bundesministerium’s own overview of Kinderzuschlag and BuT. This isn’t a small add-on, it covers a genuinely meaningful set of costs: shared lunch expenses at school or Kita, tutoring support, membership fees for a sports club or comparable activity, participation costs for school trips, and a school supplies allowance paid out twice a year.
| Benefit | What it covers |
|---|---|
| School/Kita lunch | Shared cost of communal meals |
| Tutoring (Nachhilfe) | Support hours for a child's learning needs |
| Club membership | Sports club or similar activity fees |
| School trips | Participation costs for outings |
| School supplies allowance | Paid twice yearly |
Here’s the part worth knowing before assuming this all just shows up automatically: it mostly doesn’t, at least not for Kinderzuschlag and Wohngeld families in Berlin. Since the 2019 Starke-Familien-Gesetz, families applying for Arbeitslosengeld II (today’s Bürgergeld (called Grundsicherungsgeld in the law since 1 July 2026)) have had their main benefit application count as the BuT application as well, with tutoring (Lernförderung) as the one exception that needs its own application. That bundling is specific to that benefit group, and Berlin’s own official BuT service page makes the distinction explicit: recipients of Wohngeld and/or Kinderzuschlag are the group specifically required to submit a dedicated application, other benefit recipients generally only need to hand in supporting documents for particular costs as they come up.
Berlin has, at least, made the actual filing itself considerably easier than it used to be. A 2024 official press release announced that a separate online application specifically for Wohngeld and Kinderzuschlag recipients is now available through the ServicePortal Berlin, meaning the application no longer has to be a paper form mailed in or dropped off at a district office in person, though both of those options remain available. The Berliner Familienportal’s own explainer walks through what’s needed in plain language, aimed specifically at parents rather than caseworkers.
In Practice
A Kinderzuschlag or Wohngeld approval does not trigger a BuT application by itself, and school offices or caseworkers do not always mention it. Treat the BuT application as a separate, deliberate follow-up task as soon as the approval arrives, since eligibility exists from that moment on.
The online option available since 2024 saves a trip to a district office, and the documents you already gathered for Kinderzuschlag (proof of income, household composition) often overlap directly with what the BuT application asks for.
Step by Step
- Confirm you’re already receiving Kinderzuschlag or Wohngeld, this is the underlying eligibility trigger for BuT.
- Don’t assume any BuT benefits arrive automatically, Berlin’s own service page is explicit that Kinderzuschlag and Wohngeld families must file their own dedicated application.
- Check which specific BuT categories actually apply to your children: school/Kita lunch, tutoring, club membership, school trips.
- Use the ServicePortal Berlin’s dedicated online application if you receive Wohngeld or Kinderzuschlag, available since 2024, reusing documentation already gathered for your Kinderzuschlag application where it overlaps.
- If you’d rather not apply online, a paper application through your district’s Bürgeramt remains a valid option, the online route is a convenience, not a requirement.
Compliance Note
This page explains the general framework for Bildung und Teilhabe eligibility linked to Kinderzuschlag and Wohngeld in Berlin, current as of mid-2026. It is not legal or financial advice. Specific benefits, amounts, and application requirements vary by household, confirm your specific entitlement with your district’s Jobcenter, Wohngeldstelle, or the Berliner Familienportal.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
We just got approved for Kinderzuschlag in Berlin. Does that mean we automatically get the Bildungspaket benefits too?
Not automatically, no, and this is the detail that catches families off guard. Being approved for Kinderzuschlag makes you eligible for BuT (Bildung und Teilhabe), but eligibility isn't the same as receiving it, Berlin's own official service page is direct that recipients of Wohngeld and/or Kinderzuschlag specifically must submit their own application for BuT benefits. Unlike Bürgergeld families, who don't need to file a separate BuT application, Kinderzuschlag and Wohngeld families don't get that exception.
What does the BuT package actually cover?
It includes coverage for shared school or Kita lunch costs, tutoring support, membership fees for a sports club or similar activity, participation costs for school trips and outings, and the twice-yearly school supplies allowance. Not every family will use every category, but it's worth checking which of these actually apply to your children's situation rather than assuming only one or two exist.
Why do Bürgergeld families get this automatically but we don't?
Since the 2019 Starke-Familien-Gesetz, the main application for Arbeitslosengeld II (today's Bürgergeld) has counted as the BuT application at the same time, with tutoring (Lernförderung) as the one exception that still needs its own application. Kinderzuschlag and Wohngeld are administered separately from Bürgergeld, so that automatic bundling doesn't extend to them, families receiving either one in Berlin need to take the separate, active step of applying for BuT themselves.
Where do we actually submit a BuT application in Berlin?
Applications for Wohngeld and Kinderzuschlag recipients specifically are processed by the district office handling housing benefits (Wohnungsamt), and since 2024, Berlin's own ServicePortal offers a dedicated online application for exactly this group, alongside the option to submit by post or in person at the district's Bürgeramt. Since you're already dealing with the Familienkasse for Kinderzuschlag, it's worth asking directly what BuT documentation overlaps with what you've already submitted there.
Does every BuT applicant in Berlin need to go through a formal application, or only some?
It depends on which benefit you receive. Berlin's own service page distinguishes between groups: recipients of Bürgergeld, Sozialhilfe, or asylum-seeker benefits generally don't need to file a separate BuT application and mainly submit supporting documents for specific costs to their benefit office as they arise, while Wohngeld and Kinderzuschlag recipients specifically are the ones required to file the dedicated BuT application described here.