Overview
- Labor Minister Bärbel Bas defended the option to fully withdraw payments from recipients who refuse to cooperate, though prior Constitutional Court rulings set tight limits to protect the subsistence minimum.
- Juso leader Philipp Türmer argued that complete benefit cuts are likely unconstitutional and signaled a probable challenge in Karlsruhe.
- CDU district administrator Ulli Schäfer welcomed tougher intentions yet called the plan too soft, urged a work obligation for able‑bodied recipients, and said a detailed proposal he sent to Bas received no reply.
- Schäfer warned the announced elements recall Hartz IV without tackling core hurdles such as qualification gaps, health issues, regional job shortages and undeclared work, and he cautioned of added administrative strain on job centers.
- Fiscal effects remain contested after differing figures cited by coalition leaders, and a concrete legislative draft has not yet been published.