Social benefits: billions for citizens’ money: Should you save with Ukrainians?

After the increase in the citizens’ allowance to around 47 billion euros, a heated debate is now followed by how saving. Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) suggested that all refugees from Ukraine delete the citizens’ allowance and to grant them only the lower asylum seekers. The idea aroused resistance to the SPD, because it goes beyond the coalition agreement. The responsible Minister of Social Affairs Bärbel Bas (SPD) did not pay any comments.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Social Affairs only said: “Please understand that we do not comment on statements from the political area.” She referred to the coalition agreement. He only provides for asylum seekers for those refugees from Ukraine who have traveled since April 1, 2025 – and not for everyone. Work on a draft law started in May and “continued quickly and with the needed care,” said the ministry spokeswoman. Overall, the planned civil allowance reform will also bring savings.

The background to the debate is the number of citizenship for 2024. According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, the state paid around 46.9 billion euros in help – around four billion euros more than a year earlier. Among the recipients are several hundred thousand Ukrainians and their children who have fled before the Russian war of aggression since 2022. According to the ministry, they flowed around 6.3 billion euros in 2024.

Söder said on Sunday on ZDF that he was for the fact that the Ukrainians living in Germany should no longer receive civil allowance, “preferably not only those who will come in the future, but everyone”. Söder said that the new US tariffs on imports from Europe changed the economic situation. The coalition needs an “update that is economically necessary,” said the CSU boss.

The SPD politician Dirk Wiese contradicted calmly, but clearly. The savings would be overestimated and the administrative effort of the municipalities would be enormous, said the parliamentary managing director of the SPD parliamentary group at the request of the German press agency. The increase in bureaucracy in fact is saved again. “That would only be the principle of ‘right bag, left bag’.”

The German Association of Cities and Municipalities promptly made it clear that the municipalities could not do the costs for Ukrainian refugees themselves. If there would be the change, the federal and state governments would have to take over the expenditure, said Association President Ralph Spiegler of the new Berlin editorial company. In principle, the municipalities are responsible for the services to asylum seekers, but receive support from the state and the federal government.

For single people, the citizens’ allowance has been 563 euros a month since the last increase in 2024. According to the Asylum Seekers’ Performance Act, single people receive 441 euros. Accommodation costs may be added in both cases. The close housing market and increased heating costs are driving out.

Expert insists on labor market brokerage

The economist Enzo Weber from the Institute for Labor Market and Vocational Research IAB sees a decisive disadvantage when switching from citizenship to the right to benefit for asylum seekers: “In basic security there is advice, mediation, qualification: exactly what people need. If they are not in the system of basic security, they have much less of it.”

Söder and other Union politicians such as Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) point out that there are much more refugees in other European countries in the works. Labor market researcher Weber also sees that. But he emphasizes: “The labor market integration of refugees takes time.” Weber finds the problem that there were long waiting times for language and integration courses for Ukrainian refugees in Germany. “This could work faster if you offer language support and qualification part -time.”

Union does not fight for Söder’s proposal

Söder actually only got clear support from BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht. It was wrong that refugees would be treated as much as people who had worked here for decades, said Wagenknecht. “Söder’s proposal is therefore in the right direction.”

Chancellor’s head Thorsten Frei (CDU) was open to Söder’s proposal in an interview by RTL/NTV. He complained that only one in third Ukrainians in Germany worked. However, it also sees free that the coalition agreement could only be changed mutually. The SPD will have to talk about that, said the Chancellor’s head.

Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche only said: “It has to apply that work is more worthwhile than are worth staying at home,” said Reiche. Söder even got against the Union’s workers’ wings. CDA boss Dennis Radtke turned in the “Focus” against “wide-legged and market-royal demands on the subject of flight and asylum”.

So it is questionable whether Söder’s move is fruitful. However, it is clear that a reform of the citizens’ allowance is due – so it is stated in the coalition agreement. Among other things, covers should be shortened more easily if someone consistently refuses to accept jobs. Above all, the SPD insists on preventing abuse and criminal machinations. “Anyone who takes advantage of the system must be countered with clear sanctions,” said Wiese. “Gang -based fraud or undeclared work – such as in the Ruhr area – must not be tolerated.”

The Ministry of Social Affairs is certain that the planned innovations will bring savings in total from 2026. How much it will be is open. The ministry spokeswoman also emphasized that a decline in the beneficiary had already been observed in the civil allowance. A little more people would be integrated into the labor market. The spokeswoman emphasized that the redesign of basic security will further strengthen the mediation.