Landesamt fuer soziale Dienste

The Landesamt fuer soziale Dienste (National Office for Social Services) is an authority of the Land of Schleswig-Holstein, under the direction of the Social Welfare Department. It is based in the City of Neumuenster, with field offices in Heide, Kiel, Luebeck, and Schleswig.

The National Office regards itself as service provider and partner of the general public. The ‘Landesamt’ supports more than 430,000 clients, which is about 15 percent of the total population of the Land of Schleswig-Holstein.

Most important responsibilities are:

• Pension payments under the ‘soziales Entschaedigungsrecht’ (social right to compensation)

  For example:

  • persons who suffered war injury may receive a pension. Widows and orphans of war victims are supported as well.
  • Crime victims who sustain consequential injury may receive a pension.

• Official assessment and support for handicapped persons under the ‘Schwerbehindertenrecht’ (serious handicapped person’s rights)

  Your physical or mental disability is determined on request and the degree of disability is assessed. If required, identification cards are issued that authorise disabled persons to access certain benefits (for example, at the tax office, or when using a bus).

• Payment of the ‘Elterngeld’ (family allowance) under the ‘Bundeselterngeld- und Elternzeitgesetz’ (Federal Family Allowance and Parental Leave Act)

  Mothers and fathers may receive a monthly family allowance for a certain period of time following the birth of their child. Citizens of the European Union (EU) and Switzerland shall be entitled to this on certain conditions, as Germans, if they are living or are employed in Germany.

In addition to this, there are many other responsibilities – such as support for disabled persons in employment.

For further information, please contact us:

Landesamt fuer soziale Dienste
Schleswig-Holstein
Steinmetzstrasse 1-11
24534 Neumuenster
Germany

Tel. +49 4321 913-0
Fax: +49 4321 913-750

E-Mail: post.nms@lasd.landsh.de