Suche
Mein Konto
Citizens' benefit reform: Stricter rules and consequences for those who refuse!
Neu-Ulm provides information about the reform of citizens' money, which will come into force in July 2026. Changes affect social benefits and employment services.
Citizens' benefit reform: Stricter rules and consequences for those who refuse!
The federal government has set itself the goal of reforming citizens' benefits and making social benefits fairer. The focus is on the new basic security, which is particularly aimed at improving job placement for people who are able to work. This is reported by the Augsburger Allgemeine. The draft law for the redesign has already been approved by the Federal Cabinet and is currently being discussed in the Bundestag. It is planned that the reform will come into force on July 1, 2026.
A central element of the new basic security is the principle of demanding and supporting. This means that those in need of help should receive support, while those who are able to work are required to take personal responsibility. A striking point of the reform is the renaming of the cash benefit from “citizen money” to “basic security money” - a step that is intended to symbolize the fundamental realignment. A check is first carried out to ensure immediate job placement before further training measures take place.
Harsher consequences for refusers
The reform also brings with it clearer consequences for people who do not cooperate. This includes an increased reduction in benefits in the event of breaches of duty, for example if funding measures are canceled or applications are not received. According to the plans, the standard requirement for those who refuse to work can be withdrawn for at least one month, and in the worst case even up to two months. The corresponding information is provided by Federal Government.
Single parents are hit particularly hard: after the child's first year of life, they are required to work or take part in integration measures. These measures are not only designed to do justice to the labor market, but also to reduce the number of social benefits in the long term.
Contrasting opinions on the new basic security
The implementation of these reforms has already been viewed critically from various sides. For example, guests at the lunch table in the “Club of Disabled Persons and their Friends” (CeBeeF) in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse expressed their opinions about the unequal distribution of benefits. Many are of the opinion that Ukrainians who receive citizen's benefits without having previously worked are taking unfair advantage of the financial resources. It is feared that such circumstances could lead to difficulties on the labor market. According to a report on daily news However, the majority of the 1.8 million employable citizens' benefit recipients feel that they can meet the requirements.
Especially in combination with the tightening measures required for benefit recipients, social associations fear that these regulations could increase poverty and homelessness. A critical point remains the gap between citizen's money and regular work, which could tempt many people to dive into undeclared work.
The coming months until the reform is finally passed will show how the situation of citizens' benefit recipients in Germany will continue to be shaped and whether the stated goals can be achieved. It will be exciting to see how the politically and socially diverse opinions on this important reform will develop.