Overview

• The Labour Ministry confirmed that standard rates will not rise on 1 January 2026, leaving €563 for single adults and €357–€471 for children, pending cabinet approval.
• Labour Minister Bärbel Bas plans tougher enforcement for Bürgergeld recipients, including sharper cuts for missed appointments and closer case management.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated that the current social model is unaffordable, signaled “painful” changes ahead, and ruled out tax increases under the coalition pact in a ZDF interview.
• A government commission on social-state reform begins work Monday with a mandate to deliver proposals by year-end.
• Responses split: SPD figures cautioned against Merz’s rhetoric, social groups warned of hardship from a second consecutive freeze, and employers called reforms overdue; about 5.5 million people receive Bürgergeld and 2024 spending totaled €47 billion.