Mehraufwands-Wintergeld Bewilligung

If your company belongs to the construction industry or has the same status and your employees work in a weather-dependent job, you can receive additional winter pay under certain conditions and pay it to your employees.

The additional winter allowance is paid as a supplementary benefit for eligible hours worked for employees who are employed in a weather-dependent job. A job is weather-dependent if employees are exposed to the weather, for example, snowfall, rain or frost.

The extra work winter allowance is limited to establishments

• of the construction trade,
• the scaffolding trade,
• the roofing trade, and
• gardening and landscaping.

For each hour worked in a weather-dependent workplace, your employees are entitled to EUR 1.00 in additional winter pay.

You can only apply for the additional winter allowance for the period from December 15 to the last calendar day of February. The number of eligible working hours is

• in December up to 90 working hours
• in January and February up to 180 working hours each.

You can only receive additional winter allowance for employees who are subject to compulsory insurance. These are employees whose employment contracts cannot be terminated for weather-related reasons during the bad weather period under the collective bargaining agreements. Salaried employees and foremen have no entitlement.

• Application for seasonal short-time allowance (S-Kug) and supplementary benefits
• Settlement List for Seasonal Short-Time Allowance (S-Kug) and Supplementary Benefits - Attachment to Application for Benefits

You can apply for additional winter allowance only for the period from December 15 to the last calendar day of February. You are only entitled to the extra work winter allowance for

• Employees whose employment cannot be terminated for weather-related reasons during the inclement weather period, and
• Hours worked at a weather-related job.

Your company must also

• belong to the building trade, scaffolding trade, roofing trade or gardening and landscaping trade and
• employ at least 1 employee.

You can apply for the Mehraufwands-Wintergeld in writing or online. You can also use KEA (accept short-time allowance documents electronically), if applicable.

If you want to apply for the Mehraufwands-Wintergeld in writing:

• You calculate the pay and the Mehraufwands-Wintergeld.
• You pay the remuneration and the additional winter allowance to your employees and pay social security contributions.
• You apply for reimbursement of the additional winter allowance monthly in arrears to the relevant department of the Employment Agency (application for seasonal short-time allowance and settlement list).
• The Employment Agency will check the application and the payroll list.
• If your application is approved, you will receive the winter allowance.
• After the end of the bad weather period, the Employment Agency will check the submitted accounts as part of a final audit and, if necessary, correct the approved additional winter allowance.

If you want to apply for the Mehraufwands-Wintergeld online:

• Access the "eServices" portal on the website of the Federal Employment Agency.
• Log in with your user ID and call up the application for seasonal short-time allowance.
• Fill out the application, upload the payroll list and submit the application.
• The Employment Agency will review your application and documentation. You will receive a decision on your application from the Employment Agency.
• The remaining steps of the procedure are the same as the written procedure.

If you want to use KEA for the application for seasonal short-time allowance and the corresponding payroll list:

• You will need certified payroll software that supports submission using KEA.
• In this case, you can transmit your application for seasonal short-time allowance and the associated payroll list fully digitized and securely from your payroll software to the Employment Agency.

• Objection
• Action before the social court

• Supplementary winter allowance approval
• In the period from December 15 to the last calendar day of February
• For companies in the building trade, roofing trade, gardening and landscaping trade, scaffolding trade
• Amount: EUR 1.00 per hour worked on a weather-dependent job for up to 180 hours of work per month (in December up to 90 hours of work)
• Funds were previously paid into a levy for these purposes
• Only for commercial employees subject to compulsory insurance; salaried employees and foremen are not eligible
• Application by employer
• Responsible: Federal Employment Agency (BA)

Forms available: Yes
Written form required: Yes
Informal application possible: No
Personal appearance required: No
Online services available: Yes