Bas emphasized that this is a transitional arrangement until a new legal basis is created. A corresponding draft law is currently being prepared but could not come into force until the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026 at the earliest—possibly retroactively to April 1, 2025.
It is therefore unclear whether affected Ukrainians will have to expect repayments if the reform is passed as planned.
Citizen’s allowance vs. asylum seeker benefits – How much do recipients receive?
Currently, single recipients of the Citizen's Allowance receive €563 per month, while asylum seekers receive only €441 via a payment card. A family, in turn, receives Citizen's Allowance based on its composition. For example, a family of four with two children can expect the following support :
- Parents (2 adults): 2 × 506 € = 1,012 €
- per child:
- 0–5 years: €357
- 6–13 years: 390 €
- 14–17 years: €471
In addition, depending on the situation, there are additional needs , such as for single parents, as well as benefits for housing and heating , the amount of which varies regionally. The total monthly amount for a family can be well over 2,000 euros.
If the reform comes into force, Ukrainian refugees will have to expect significantly less state support .
Continued citizen's income—but also stricter sanctions for breaches of duty
In addition to the citizen's allowance reform, Bas also announced stricter sanctions for breaches of duty : Those who miss appointments at the job center without an excuse will in future face more significant consequences than the current 10 percent benefit reduction . Furthermore, the so-called waiting period for calculating assets will be revised.
According to Bas, the goal of the federal government under the CDU/CSU and SPD remains to quickly get as many Ukrainians as possible into work. "We want to act quickly, but not hastily," the minister said at the Job Center Day in Berlin.
