Agentur für Arbeit

Sperrzeit (benefit suspension period) on Arbeitslosengeld: what you can do now

What this letter means

With a Sperrzeitbescheid the Agentur für Arbeit states that you behaved "versicherungswidrig" (against the rules of unemployment insurance) without an important reason. During the Sperrzeit (benefit suspension period) your entitlement is suspended, so you receive no Arbeitslosengeld (§ 159 Abs. 1 SGB III).

How long it lasts depends on the reason (§ 159 Abs. 3 to 6 SGB III): if you gave up your job yourself, for example by resigning (Eigenkündigung) or signing a termination agreement (Aufhebungsvertrag), it is usually 12 weeks, in certain cases 3 or 6 weeks. If you turned down a job or a measure (Maßnahme), it is 3, 6 or 12 weeks, depending on how often it happened. Not enough own job search efforts (Eigenbemühungen) lead to 2 weeks, a missed appointment or registering late as a jobseeker to one week.

The Sperrzeit also shortens the total length of your entitlement. With a 12 week Sperrzeit for giving up your job, the length of the entitlement falls by at least a quarter (§ 148 Abs. 1 Nr. 4 SGB III). If Sperrzeiten add up to 21 weeks in total, the entitlement ends completely (§ 161 SGB III).

If the important reason lies in your own sphere of life, you must explain it and prove it (§ 159 Abs. 1 Satz 3 SGB III). As examples, the Arbeitsagentur mentions giving up the job for health reasons on medical advice, or moving to join your spouse after marriage.

What to do now

1Note the date of the decision and the end of the deadline.
2Check which reason is given in the decision and how long the Sperrzeit is supposed to last.
3Write down why you acted as you did and collect proof (medical certificate (Attest), letters from your employer, marriage certificate).
4Check whether a shorter Sperrzeit could apply, for example because your employment would have ended soon anyway.
5File a Widerspruch and give reasons with your proof. Write it in German. The templates on this site are in German.
6If you do not have enough money during the Sperrzeit, consider applying for Grundsicherungsgeld at the Jobcenter.

How you can reply

File a Widerspruch (objection)

If you had an important reason or the length was calculated wrongly. Include proof.

Template: Widerspruch gegen einen Bescheid (Jobcenter, Krankenkasse)

Request access to your file (Akteneinsicht)

If you want to know what the Agentur based its decision on, for example information from your former employer.

Template: Akteneinsicht bei einer Behoerde beantragen

Apply for Grundsicherungsgeld

If you have no money to live on during the Sperrzeit. Note: the Jobcenter can also reduce benefits because of the Sperrzeit (§ 31 Abs. 2 Nr. 3 SGB II).

Common questions

Do I get Grundsicherungsgeld during the Sperrzeit?

You can apply for it at the Jobcenter if you are in need. But the Jobcenter treats a Sperrzeit as a breach of duty (Pflichtverletzung) and can reduce the Grundsicherungsgeld (§ 31 Abs. 2 Nr. 3, § 31b Abs. 1 SGB II).

Is there always a Sperrzeit after an Aufhebungsvertrag (termination agreement)?

Not necessarily. What matters is whether you had an important reason. You must explain it and prove it. Get advice before you sign an Aufhebungsvertrag.

Can the Sperrzeit be shortened?

Yes. If you gave up your job, it falls to 3 weeks if the employment would have ended within 6 weeks anyway, and to 6 weeks if it would have ended within 12 weeks or in a case of particular hardship (§ 159 Abs. 3 SGB III).

I received a questionnaire about the Sperrzeit beforehand. Do I have to fill it in?

Yes, this is your Anhörung (hearing, § 24 SGB X). Describe your reasons precisely, in German, and include proof. What you write there is taken into account in the decision.

Sources (German law and official pages)

Research as of: 10 November 2026