Bärbel Bas initiates a revamp of citizenship regulations for Ukrainians
German Government Plans to Alter Social Aid for Ukrainian Refugees
Starting from April 1, 2025, the German government is set to implement changes in the citizens' income ("Bürgergeld") for Ukrainian refugees. These changes aim to tighten the eligibility requirements and transition to a basic income system by 2026.
Currently, Ukrainian refugees receive Bürgergeld payments comparable to unemployed German citizens (around €563 per adult monthly), plus coverage for housing and health insurance. However, the proposed reforms intend to ensure that only those truly in need continue to receive support, potentially reducing overall costs with an estimated saving of "more than one or two billion" euros in the following years.
The reforms will introduce stricter work requirements and potential limits on housing costs like rent caps or assessments of living space. This move is expected to reduce expenditures, though precise estimated additional costs for states and municipalities are not detailed in available reports.
However, the tighter controls and planned reform may initially require administrative measures at the local government level for compliance checks, suggesting some short-term increased costs before savings take effect.
In a bid to offset these additional costs, the federal government plans to compensate states and municipalities through a "pauschalized cost relief." The exact amount of this compensation has not been disclosed yet.
It is important to note that this project is an implementation of an agreement from the coalition agreement. The previous regulation was introduced in 2022 after the Russian attack on Ukraine.
The Greens have criticized the proposal as "destructive populism." On the other hand, SPD politician Barbara Bas, who sent the draft to other ministries for consultation, had previously predicted that there would be no significant savings from this change.
It's worth mentioning that nothing will change for the more than 1.2 million Ukrainian women and men who have sought protection in Germany before the cut-off date of April 1, 2025. Ukrainians arriving after this date will receive benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act instead of citizen's income.
The law is subject to the approval of the Bundesrat and is expected to be passed by the end of the year. Ongoing medical treatments can still be completed for affected individuals, and the right to take up work will remain unaffected by the new regulation for affected individuals.
[1] Source: Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales (Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs)
The German government's proposed changes in social aid for Ukrainian refugees, starting from April 1, 2025, involve modifying the Community policy on Bürgergeld to meet basic income system standards by 2026. These alterations include imposing stricter employment policy requirements and potentially setting limits on housing costs, aiming to reduce overall expenditures and realign with politics focusing on policy-and-legislation and general-news related to budget management.
