# Assistance for victims
Anyone can find themselves in an emergency situation or become the victim of violence. Here you will find an overview of what services you can turn to in different kinds of emergencies and what assistance and counselling you can access.
To ServicesIf you would like information about your future pension entitlements and the start of your pension, you can request this informally at any time.
During the protection periods before and after childbirth as well as for the day of delivery, you can receive maternity benefit.
If you are a member of the statutory health insurance, apply for maternity benefit from your health insurance company.
If you are privately insured or family insured and are in an employment relationship at the beginning of the protection period (this also includes a minor employment relationship/mini-job), submit the application to the Federal Insurance Office and receive a one-time maximum of EUR 210.00.
Self-employed women who are not insured with a statutory health insurance company with entitlement to sickness benefit, but who have private health insurance, do not receive maternity benefit.
Self-employed women who are insured with a statutory health insurance fund entitled to daily sickness benefit receive maternity benefit in the amount of the sickness benefit.
If you have lost your job in the mining industry, you may be entitled to a miners' compensation benefit (Knappschaftsausgleichsleistung, KAL) under certain conditions.
If you are no longer able to work due to illness or disability, you can in many cases receive a reduced earning capacity pension.
From your 27th birthday onwards, you will receive annual pension information from your pension insurance institution if you have paid contributions for at least 5 years in total. You can also request the pension information informally at any time.
If you are unemployed and want to start your own business, you are entitled to financial support.
Wenn Sie einen Arbeitsunfall oder eine Berufskrankheit haben, wirkt die gesetzliche Unfallversicherung (DGUV) mit allen geeigneten Mitteln darauf hin, Ihre Rückkehr an den Arbeitsplatz zu ermöglichen. Auch Kinder und Jugendliche können im Versicherungsfall Leistungen bekommen.