The Federal Minister of Labour, Bärbel Bas (SPD), has announced plans to present a reform of the Bürgergeld system, the country’s core social welfare program, before the end of the autumn.
Speaking on the “Bericht aus Berlin” program on ARD television on Sunday, Minister Bas indicated that her ministry had already developed proposals for the reform. She emphasized that the remaining hurdle was reaching agreement within the governing coalition on the best approach.
Bas advocated for increased obligations on Bürgergeld recipients and stricter penalties for non-compliance, specifically citing instances where recipients fail to attend appointments at Jobcenters without justification. She stated that Jobcenter employees had requested such tools to facilitate the program’s administration. Furthermore, Bas detailed plans to enhance efforts against Bürgergeld recipients engaged in fraudulent activity, such as through undeclared work. Under the proposed measures, customs authorities will immediately share relevant information with Jobcenters to enable quicker cessation of inappropriate payments.
Looking ahead, the Federal Minister also announced the planned launch of a commission tasked with reforming the legal pension insurance system in January 2026. Bas noted that the commission would not be starting from scratch, but would instead build upon existing proposals already under consideration. The coalition partners, however, still need to determine which of these proposals can be implemented within the current legislative period.
