Overview

• Germany’s Labor Ministry confirmed a zero change in standard rates from January 1, 2026, keeping the single-person rate at €563 and affecting roughly 5.5–5.6 million recipients.
• Labor Minister Bärbel Bas announced tougher sanction rules and stricter case management, including sharper cuts for missed appointments without valid reason.
• Press reports say the cabinet is expected to adopt Bas’s regulation on September 10 to formalize the freeze, a step that would not require Bundestag approval.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated calls for deep social-state reforms and cost restraint, while SPD leaders back reform efforts but face criticism from the left and welfare groups warning of greater hardship.
• The government has launched work on broader pension, nursing care and health insurance reforms through commissions and working groups tasked with presenting proposals by year’s end.