Abstract

The Unemployment Benefit II system is often considered as a benefit for the long-term unemployed. It is assumed that the unemployed transition from the unemployment insurance benefit system to the means-tested UB II if they are unable to end unemployment before. Therefore, extending eligibility to unemployment insurance is discussed as a means to improve the financial situation of the unemployed. In fact, however, UB-II-recipients also comprise recipients that are not unemployed but participate in ALMP measures, are employed with low wages and/or low working time, or they are not available for the labour market due to child care responsibilities.In this project we analyse how many and which new UB-II-recipients received unemployment insurance benefits before entering UB II. In addition, we analyse the role of insurance and UB-II-benefits at the beginning of unemployment: which groups of unemployed are protected by insurance benefits and which have to rely on the means-tested UB II to secure their standard of living.