The German government plans to introduce stricter rules for receiving social assistance for the unemployed, including refugees from Ukraine, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in an interview with ARD television on Sunday. In an interview with ARD on Sunday, July 13, Merz confirmed that citizens in need of support will continue to receive it. However, the German government intends to introduce stricter rules for applicants.
“People who can work must work,” Merz emphasized. In addition, housing cost requirements may be tightened, for example, by introducing rent caps or checks on living space.
According to the German chancellor, there is significant potential for savings when, as part of the reform, basic income will be paid to citizens instead of benefits from 2026. “More than one or two billion can be saved,” Merz said, adding that the “change in the system” must take place “step by step.”
According to Merz, the aim of basic income should be “to ensure that those who really need state assistance continue to receive it in the future.” “I would even be prepared to increase the rates, for example in the event of sudden unemployment, so that those affected can quickly find new jobs,” he said.
In 2024, around 826,000 working citizens in Germany were unable to live on their wages. The state paid them “Bürgergeld” (citizen’s income) amounting to EUR 7 billion. Among the recipients of “Bürgergeld” in Germany are Ukrainian refugees from the Russian war.
According to DW, as of 2024, there were 1.25 million Ukrainians living in Germany, 296,000 of whom were employed. Another 211,000 Ukrainians in the country were unemployed, and 98,000 were attending integration courses.
