Overview

• Jasmin has gone without Bürgergeld payments since June due to a lengthy reapplication process and expects her first disbursement not before mid-December.
• Jessica and her partner Olaf are supplementing their income through deposit-bottle collection and short-term gigs after a 20 percent benefit reduction for failing to report a minijob.
• Stephan is contesting a work-market ban imposed until 2028 after alleged non-compliance and is seeking legal recourse to overturn the full-time employment restriction.
• Jannie is preparing to emigrate to the United States with her teenage son despite lacking health insurance and facing significant financial constraints.
• RTL2 participants receive no compensation for their appearances, fueling debate over the ethics of unpaid portrayals of welfare recipients.