Germany will stop aid payments: this will directly affect Ukrainian refugees

The German authorities have decided to freeze social payments Bürgergeld until 2026. This affects more than 5.6 million recipients of aid who will not receive the expected increase at the beginning of next year.

The amounts of basic assistance will remain unchanged – 563 euros for single adults and between 357 and 471 euros for child payments. The government explains this decision by the slowing of inflation processes and the recognition of the redundancy of the current level of assistance.

Alongside the freezing of payments, the authorities plan to strengthen disciplinary measures for Bürgergeld recipients, namely - reducing assistance for missing visits to employment centers and complete refusal in case of refusal of work.

For Ukrainians who are recipients of these payments in Germany, the new decision means the absence of indexation in 2026 and increased sanctions in the case of refusal of offered work. Moreover, newly arrived Ukrainians who receive assistance under the asylum seeker law have already been allocated a smaller amount, but they will still receive increased assistance in 2026.

Summary

The German authorities have frozen social payments for 2026 for more than 5.6 million recipients of aid, explaining it by the slowdown in inflation. Ukrainians in Germany will also feel these changes, in particular, they will receive smaller amounts of assistance and increased requirements for job search.