Overview
- Statutory pensions will rise by 4.24% on July 1, 2026, yet roughly 1.26 million people on basic security see little or no net gain because the increase is offset by reduced benefits.
- An exception under §82a SGB XII lets those with at least 33 years of qualifying periods keep part of the pension as a protected amount, which can make the increase partially payable.
- The Higher Social Court in North Rhine-Westphalia ruled the pension insurer cannot issue binding pre‑decisions in the account‑recording process on how unemployment or Bürgergeld periods will later count, leaving the final word to the award notice at retirement.
- Wohngeld has no fixed statutory asset limit; authorities use orientation values of €60,000 for the first household member and €30,000 per additional person, and a 2025 OVG Berlin‑Brandenburg ruling found about €57,500 does not automatically bar a claim.
- The Baden‑Württemberg Higher Social Court dismissed a Bürgergeld lawsuit by a Stuttgart heir with assets exceeding €642,000, confirming that substantial usable wealth precludes entitlement and that, at most, a loan may be considered until assets are liquid.