Overview

• Bärbel Bas said the cap will appear in her Bürgergeld reform bill to be presented in the coming weeks, according to comments published in Bild am Sonntag.
• The tool would let municipalities limit reimbursable rent per square meter to undercut schemes that extract triple‑digit euro rates for slum flats.
• Reports describe organized groups overfilling dilapidated apartments, with each resident reimbursed at the local single‑flat rate and payments skimmed by perpetrators.
• Separately agreed coalition plans tighten sanctions, including full benefit cuts after repeated missed Jobcenter appointments or refused job offers, which an Insa poll shows most respondents support.
• Debate continues as DGB chief Yasmin Fahimi rejects claims of widespread abuse, while CDU’s Carsten Linnemann touts potential savings in the billions and Bas stresses employment‑driven savings.