Citizens’ money: 826,000 “Aufstocker” – state pays seven billion euros

According to government agencies, the state paid for around 826,000 employees in the past year because its income was not enough to live. The costs were around seven billion euros. This emerges from the Federal Government’s response to a request from the left-wing MP Cem Ince, which is available to the dpa news agency. Accordingly, the number of so -called top -ups has increased again for the first time since 2015.

At that time the statutory minimum wage was introduced in Germany, initially at 8.50 euros an hour. After that, the number of tops of a good 1.2 million fell continuously to around 796,000 people in 2023. For 2024, the statistics now reject again.

The minimum wage is now 12.82 euros. The minimum wage commission is currently advising on possible increases. Chancellor Friedrich Merz described an increase to 15 euros in 2026 as accessible and desirable. Employers think that is too much.

The left-wing MP INCE sees the figures on the numbers as an argument for a significant increase. “It cannot be that hundreds of thousands are dependent on government aid despite work,” he told the dpa. “We support low wages and maintain the exploitation of the workforce instead of investing in nursing and daycare places that would enable many people to get out of part-time trap.”

According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, government expenditure for the supplementary citizen benefit grew from 6.19 billion euros in 2023 to 6.99 billion euros last year. So -called needs communities with at least one turbine – such as families or couples – were supported by the state in 2024 with a total of 11.61 billion euros, as can be seen from the data.

Bulders are very often mini -jobbers, as the Bertelsmann Foundation wrote in a study a few years ago. Almost half of the working people who receive additional citizenship are marginally employed. Around two thirds of the top -ups have a far below average wage.