Five Billion More for Bürgergeld. They Still Called It Reform

«Statt Einsparungen beim Bürgergeld Milliarden Mehrkosten und eine Umbenennung. Die „Reformen“ dieser Regierung sind ein übler Scherz auf Kosten der immer weniger werdenden Leistungsträger.»

“Instead of savings on Bürgergeld, billions in extra costs and a renaming. This government’s ‘reforms’ are a nasty joke at the expense of the ever fewer who still carry the load.”

NIUS, citing internal federal calculations, writes that the cost of Grundsicherung in the coming years lies 5.35 billion euros higher than previously planned. In the budget planning for 2027 the government sets half a billion more than in September of the previous year. For 2028 the costs are 1.85 billion higher than planned. For 2029, 3.05 billion more. NIUS also writes “5.4 billion” as the additional total. I do not pick one and hide the other.

There is a second hole. NIUS says labour minister Bärbel Bas will not take the agreed share of health costs for Bürgergeld recipients from her own budget: 750 million euros a year, negotiated into the GKV law at the last minute. From 2027 the law provides one billion euros from the federal budget for those health costs, rising to 2.75 billion. The ministry, NIUS quotes, cannot finance the extra from Einzelplan 11 and expects compensation from the overall budget.

Merz, in the election, had spoken of savings in the “double-digit billions.” In coalition talks that became five billion. Later estimates, NIUS has reported elsewhere, put actual savings under 100 million — if there are savings at all. From July the benefit is to be renamed Grundsicherung. Missed Jobcentre appointments can mean cuts of up to 30 per cent. The standard rate for a single person remains 563 euros. Rent and heating still paid.

A reform that changes the name and the threat, and adds five billion to the line. The Leistungsträger are still the ones who pay.

Is this accurate — or do I have a detail wrong?