Dear fellow freelance artists who are in danger of existential loss of earnings associated with the coronavirus crisis: Please do not rely only on donations, union initiatives, or aid efforts of the government. I recommend that you file an application for German social welfare to secure or augment your income for the short term. Processing a new request will take a few weeks, depending on the work load of your responsible job center. Don’t consider this move a social stigma, but a legitimate claim of resources that you are entitled to obtain as you are suffering from a state of distress caused by governmental measures. I applied for social benefits myself several times—the inevitable paper chase is considerably lower than in a tax return, and you will be granted a financial relief in due course for a period of six months.
The required forms and attachments are available via this website. If you have questions or are in need of advice with your application, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’ll be happy to help.
Musician・Researcher・Digital Content Creator