Grant disabled people equal status with severely disabled people

• You are a person with disabilities and have a degree of disability of less than 50, but at least 30
• You are legally resident in Germany or you are legally staying in Germany or you are legally employed in Germany.
• You are unable to find a suitable job because of your disability or your job is at risk because of your disability. Indications that your job is at risk due to your disability may be, for example
  • Repeated/frequent absences due to disability
  • Permanently reduced resilience
  • Disability-related restricted mobility
  • Permanent need for support from colleagues
  • Recognizable reactions of the employer to the disability-related restrictions (e.g. warnings).
• There is a special regulation for disabled young people and young adults during the period of their vocational training or professional orientation: they do not have to apply for equal status, as they are automatically granted equal status by law if the requirements are met. However, this equal status only applies to benefits provided by the Integration Office in the context of vocational orientation and vocational training (bonuses and subsidies towards the costs of vocational training).

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

• Proof of the required degree of disability, e.g. a copy of your assessment certificate.
• Please refer to the application form for further information on the proof or documents required. Your employment agency may request further documents when processing your application.

To be treated as a severely disabled person, proceed as follows:

• You can submit the application for equal status informally, i.e. in person, by telephone or in writing to the local employment agency.
• You will then receive a form in which you have to answer a few questions so that the employment agency can check the requirements.
• You can also submit the application online.
• The employment agency will check your application. Once you have submitted the application to secure your job, your employer and - if available - the works council or staff council and the representative body for severely disabled employees will be asked about the specific workplace situation. However, this requires that you have given your prior consent. You will find the relevant declaration of consent in the application form.
• You will receive written notification of whether your application has been approved or rejected.

• Informationen zum Gleichstellungsantrag und zur Gleichstellung mit schwerbehinderten Menschen auf der Internetseite der Bundesagentur für Arbeit
• Fachliche Weisungen der Bundesagentur für Arbeit: Leistungen zur Teilhabe am Arbeitsleben gemäß § 2 SGB IX
• Fachliche Weisungen der Bundesagentur für Arbeit: Leistungen zur Teilhabe am Arbeitsleben gemäß § 151 SGB IX

• § 2 Absatz 3 Sozialgesetzbuch Neuntes Buch (SGB IX)
• § 151 Absatz 2, 3 und 4 Sozialgesetzbuch Neuntes Buch (SGB IX)

• Appeal to the employment agency that issued the decision. Further information on how to lodge an appeal can be found in the respective decision.