Overview

• The reform will rename Bürgergeld to Grundsicherung, reintroduce Vermittlungsvorrang and abolish the first-year asset exemption
• Lawmakers aim to achieve €1.5 billion in savings for 2026 and €3 billion for 2027 through stricter eligibility and full sanctions for repeated work refusal
• An Infratest-dimap poll finds half of Germans back current sanctions, a third support harsher penalties and the public is nearly evenly split on prioritizing swift job placement or qualification
• Critics and recent IAB, DIW and Sanktionsfrei studies warn that the €563 standard rate for singles falls short, causing material deprivation and undermining long-term reintegration
• RTL Zwei documentaries have exposed extreme cases of debt, fraud and career breaks, leading experts to urge targeted cuts for total refusal while warning against broad punitive measures