Central Agencies for the Disabled (Hauptfürsorgestellen) - Federal Republic of Germany

Source: Federal Labour Office

All Central Agencies for the Disabled have an Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities (Beratender Ausschuss für Behinderte). These committees help the agencies in the implementation of the Act and support the integration of persons with disabilities in the working life. The committee includes members of employers' and workers' organisations, organisations of disabled persons, Land administration and Land employment services.

Central Agencies for the Disabled (Hauptfürsorgestellen) are administrative agencies which, under the Severely Disabled Persons Act (Schwerbehindertengesetz), must be established at state (Land) level to ensure the welfare of disabled persons and their protection under labour and social security law. They work in close co-operation with the Federal Labour Office.

They are responsible for

• the levy and expenditure of the compensatory tax (For every job in the obligatory employment quota that is not duly allocated to a disabled person, an employer must pay a compensatory tax to the appropriate Central Agency for the Disabled),
• application of the law on protection against dismissal for disabled employees,
• provision of support after placement in a job ("nachgehende Hilfe", i.e. follow-up assistance) and
• the temporary withdrawal of protection for disabled employees.

Whereas these agencies are responsible for all measures and benefits connected with safeguarding a disabled person's job, benefits that foster their actual integration into working life in the context of rehabilitation fall within the competence of the Federal Labour Office.

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