Overview

• The working draft for the 2026 budget sets equal monthly installments with a floor of about €50, removes initial lump‑sum payments, and requires the collection agency to issue plans within roughly 10 days of application.
• The forfeiture rule remains contested: the Economy Ministry backs loss of benefits after two missed payments, while other options under discussion include four or eight missed installments.
• Access is set to tighten by excluding those already in a settlement and repeat abusers, with possible readmission of past forfeitures, though drafting inconsistencies on eligibility persist.
• Coverage is expected to include debts sent to collection through December 31, 2023, with parts of the majority pushing to extend the window to the end of 2024.
• For larger debts, a 10‑year (120‑installment) path with a 5% upfront payment is being evaluated, as designers respond to prior programs that collected €38 billion out of a €112 billion potential with high dropout rates.