Federal Social Court

The Federal Social Court, known in German as the Bundessozialgericht and abbreviated BSG, is the highest federal court in Germany for social security cases. Its cases mainly concern public health insurance, long-term care insurance, pension insurance and occupational accident insurance. These disputes start in the Social Courts, the Sozialgerichte, and appeals from them are heard by the Higher Social Courts, the Landessozialgerichte, before a case can reach the Bundessozialgericht. The court sits in the city of Kassel. It was founded on 11 September 1954 and held its first session on 23 March 1955. It hears appeals against decisions of the Higher Social Courts and, in special circumstances, against decisions of the Social Courts themselves. Its chambers are called Senate, each made up of three judges and two lay judges, and the court has fourteen of them, each assigned a field such as public health insurance, statutory pension insurance, benefits for asylum seekers, social assistance or unemployment benefits.