The ruling coalition in Germany, led by Christian Democrat Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has agreed on changes to the system for granting social benefits. So far, there are nearly 5.5 million people in the country who receive this social support.
What's changing?
The emphasis is on serious restrictive measures that emphasize the obligations of the unemployed in Germany to actively seek work and to cooperate with the state's efforts. For example, stricter sanctions are foreseen for failure to appear at the employment offices.
In the event of a first failure to appear, an immediate second invitation for an interview will follow, and whoever misses it without a serious reason will receive social benefits reduced by 30%. Those who fail to appear a third time will be left without any social assistance. If recipients of state benefits continue to fail to show up next month, the measures will also see their rent payments taken away, ARD reported.
To the limits of what is permitted by the constitution
“Those who refuse to cooperate will face difficulties”, said Labor Minister Berbel Bas. According to her, the changes are within the limits of what is permitted by the constitution. However, valid reasons for absence and circumstances that do not allow for social extremes will be taken into account.
Another change that is planned concerns the property of those affected, which will now be less protected. Instead, the protected assets will depend on the length of service accumulated over the years.
Why is the reform necessary?
The main criticisms of the current social assistance system were that they were too expensive for the state, that they did not stimulate activity to start work, and that violations of the rules did not lead to serious consequences. In addition, there has recently been strong dissatisfaction with the existence of numerous social assistance frauds.
“Those who work should receive noticeably more than those who do not work“, says the leader of the CSU, Markus Söder. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's sister party, the CDU, hopes that at least 100,000 unemployed people will now be further motivated to start work, which would provide savings of 1.3 to 1.5 billion euros.
How much are the benefits?
Social benefits in Germany, which will now be called “Basic Protection“, guarantee the minimum subsistence level stipulated by the Constitution. Non-family recipients of benefits currently receive 563 euros per month, and there is also a separate allowance for paying rent. Children receive, depending on their age, 357 to 471 euros.
What are the reactions?
Representatives of employer organizations and business circles generally support the new, stricter measures. According to them, the new rules are leading in the right direction. On the contrary – Left Party leader Heidi Reichinek has spoken of a "massive attack on the welfare state" and called the government's plans "inhumane and legally questionable."
How many people are refusing work?
There are no exact statistics, but the employment offices report that in the last 12 months (to September 2025) there were 25,000 refusals to start an offered job, training or retraining. For this reason, 25,000 people had their benefits partially reduced.