Germany Changes Benefits: New Grundsicherung Payments Begin as Wohngeld Reform Heads to Bundestag
Reforms set fixed monthly transfer dates and new renewal rules while a cabinet‑approved Wohngeld draft seeks roughly €2 billion in savings and could strip housing aid from many households.
Overview
- The new Grundsicherunggeld replaced Bürgergeld on 1 July 2026 and the government has published fixed monthly advance payment dates running through September 2027.
- Recipients must file a Weiterbewilligungsantrag to continue payments because benefits are not automatic; Jobcenters advise applying weeks before a decision ends and SGB II allows limited retroactive claims if applicants miss the deadline.
- Local Jobcenters warn that bank processing can delay credits by up to three bank working days and offer barcode cash payouts for people without accounts as a fallback.
- The Bundeskabinett sent a Wohngeld reform draft to the Bundestag on 7 July 2026 that aims to save about €2 billion by changing the calculation, suspending the next indexation and removing entitlement when calculated aid would be under €15 per month.
- Analysts and welfare groups say the Wohngeld changes would hit many families with children and low‑income pensioners, could push some households toward Grundsicherung, and would leave current Wohngeld decisions valid until their official end dates.