Overview
- Official data show nearly 16,800 minors were affected by Bürgergeld sanctions on average in 2024, about 5,400 more than a year earlier.
- Sanctions hit roughly 8,300 households with children, including around 3,700 single‑parent households, with an average monthly reduction of about €63.
- The Greens call to exempt all households with children from sanctions, warning the planned tightening would be a “brand accelerant” for child poverty.
- The Labour Ministry says only the sanctioned parent’s standard rate is reduced and payments for children continue in full, with hardship and medical exemptions.
- The Union–SPD draft revives stricter penalties: a 30% cut after two missed Jobcenter appointments, possible payment stoppage after three following a hearing, and an immediate 30% cut for three months for refusing applications or courses, as unions and social groups press for easing and a Bürgergeld recipient testifies among today’s experts.