Overview
- The draft would apply retroactively from 1 April 2025 to people from Ukraine arriving on or after that date, with current Bürgergeld cases continuing only until approvals expire and at most three months after the law takes effect.
- Monthly support for a single adult would drop by roughly €120 from the €563 Bürgergeld rate to about €441 under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act, and initial coverage would shift from statutory health insurance to a basic, tax‑funded package.
- Administrative responsibility would move from Jobcenters to municipal social welfare offices, with requirements to seek employment and asset checks that obligate using available resources before receiving benefits.
- Government projections show lower federal Bürgergeld outlays but higher costs for states and municipalities—about €862 million in 2026 and €394 million in 2027—with a promised lump‑sum federal compensation still to be specified.
- The coalition is divided as the SPD labour minister voices misgivings and the Greens criticize the plan, while the Union supports the change and the cabinet sends the bill forward.