Overview
- As of Aug. 25, 2026 the government has circulated a Haushaltsbegleitgesetz draft that would suspend the planned January 2027 Wohngeld indexation, halve the permanent heating‑cost component and change the formula so income reduces entitlement more.
- Model calculations of the draft estimate that about 381,000 of roughly 1.2 million current Wohngeld households could lose entitlement if the rules are adopted, but that number is a projection and the law is still under parliamentary review.
- The new Grundsicherung for work‑seekers replaced the Bürgergeld on 1 July 2026 and tightened activation, eligibility and asset rules while keeping specific protections such as excluding Pflegegeld from counted income.
- The draft would also change how Regelbedarfe (standard needs) are updated by removing the supplementary inflation step so only a mixed price‑and‑wage index applies, a technical shift that could lower recipients’ real purchasing power if prices rise.
- Some pension measures in the wider package are already decided: the Aktivrente is in force, Mütterrente III and the Altersvorsorgedepot are scheduled for 2027 (with technical payouts in 2028), and those changes will take effect regardless of the Wohngeld debate.