Promoting the Use of BuT Services

The Düren District Municipal Job Center uses its extensive network to regularly inform key stakeholders about the benefits of the Education and Participation Pact and to answer questions regarding the application process.

School administrators, school social workers, case managers at the Municipal Integration Center, staff at organizations implementing labor market policy measures, and other counseling centers that are in close contact with eligible recipients are a key pillar in promoting the BuT package—and serve as a bridge.

In addition to personalized counseling for eligible individuals provided by staff at the Jobcenter and the district social welfare offices, the Düren District offers further low-threshold counseling options. To address the fact that the number of eligible individuals with refugee backgrounds has increased significantly over the past ten years and that the German language often still poses a barrier, the BuT package is explained and promoted through explanatory videos in eight languages. In addition, application forms are available in various languages.

In many cases, for various reasons, it is also a hurdle for eligible individuals to seek advice from the Jobcenter or a social services office regarding BuT benefits. To give this group of people an opportunity to receive low-threshold counseling, the district of Düren entered into a partnership with Viva Equality in 2025. Through its “But-Beratung” project, this nonprofit organization offers multilingual counseling on all benefits included in the Education and Participation Package. It complements the counseling work of the Düren Job Center and the district’s social welfare offices and supports outreach and implementation efforts to increase the uptake of these benefits.

Despite numerous counseling services, it has not been possible to reach all eligible individuals and encourage them to apply for the BuT benefits to which their children are entitled or to specify their needs to the Jobcenter.

Against this backdrop, the Jobcenter periodically reviews the database of SGB II benefit recipients to determine whether—even after receiving benefits for an extended period—no additional BuT benefits have been claimed, with the exception of the automatically granted school supplies package. The parents in question are then contacted directly and informed about the BuT benefits and how to apply for them.

In practice, it has become apparent that applying for BuT benefits often overwhelms eligible individuals or their parents for a variety of reasons: Applications are either not submitted at all or are submitted only after a significant delay and following repeated requests, for example, from service providers. 

To address this issue while still maximizing uptake, the Düren district has, since the BuT package took effect, been actively highlighting the option of having an authorized representative submit the application. This option is being utilized equally extensively by service providers as well as by key advocates, such as school social workers.