Overview
- Union and SPD finalized a deal to replace Bürgergeld with a stricter Grundsicherung, with a Bundestag vote set for Thursday, Bundesrat sign-off planned in March, and a target start on 1 July 2026.
- Key changes include full suspension of payments after a third missed Jobcenter appointment, the option to require official medical certificates, tighter housing rules, and more discretion for Jobcenters.
- Statutory long-term care avoided a 2025 deficit only with a €500 million federal loan and will rely on a further €3.2 billion loan in 2026, as insurer leaders warn of a larger gap forecast for 2027.
- From 1 January 2026 roughly 1.4 million Grundrente cases are being recalculated using recent tax data, with some beneficiaries seeing a listed supplement but no payout once taxable household income is applied.
- The Deutsche Rentenversicherung cautioned that proposed private-pension rules allowing time-limited payouts to around age 85 could heighten poverty risk in very old age, after the bill’s first reading on 26 February.