Germany replaces Bürgergeld with Grundsicherung from July 1, 2026: what changes for Ukrainians

What changed

As of 1 July 2026, Germany's basic welfare benefit for people able to work is no longer called Bürgergeld. The Bundestag passed the reform on 5 March 2026 (321 votes in favor), and the Bundesrat approved it on 27 March 2026. The new name is Grundsicherung (the payment itself is called Grundsicherungsgeld), and the rules changed along with the name. The reform affects roughly 5.5 million recipients across the country.

The transition is automatic: if you already receive Bürgergeld, you don't need to file a new application — the Jobcenter will switch you to the new Grundsicherung terms from your next approval period.

The government presents the reform as a way to move people able to work back into jobs faster and reduce abuse of the system. Social organizations, including SoVD, warn that stricter savings rules and sanctions will hit people with small savings and the long-term unemployed hardest.

Who this affects

The reform applies to everyone receiving basic welfare support for people able to work in Germany — including Ukrainians under temporary protection (§24) who are currently on Bürgergeld. The same new rules on savings, Jobcenter appointments, and job-search priority apply to them as to German citizens.

Separately from this reform, since November 2025 the government has been working on another bill — the Leistungsrechtsanpassungsgesetz. It would move Ukrainians who entered Germany after 1 April 2025 from Grundsicherung to the lower payments under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act (AsylbLG, roughly €441 instead of €563 for a single adult). The cabinet approved this draft on 19 November 2025, but as of mid-2026 the Bundesrat had still not agreed to it — the date it would take effect, if at all, is unknown. This is a separate matter: don't confuse it with the Grundsicherung reform, which is already in force from 1 July 2026 for all current recipients.

The temporary protection status under §24 of the Residence Act is not affected by these changes: it was automatically extended to 4 March 2027 for anyone whose permit was valid as of 1 February 2026 — no separate application to the Ausländerbehörde is needed.

What to do now

1. Check your mail and your Jobcenter account: your next benefit notice will already follow the new Grundsicherung rules.
2. Prepare up-to-date information about your savings and accounts — under the new rules they can be checked immediately, with no grace period.
3. Don't miss scheduled Jobcenter appointments, and notify them in advance if you can't attend — penalties for repeated misses are now stricter.
4. If you arrived in Germany after 1 April 2025, follow the news on the Leistungsrechtsanpassungsgesetz separately — as of this publication it had not yet taken effect.
5. Don't worry about your §24 residence permit for now: it's automatically valid until March 2027, and no early renewal is needed.

Common mistakes

• Confusing the Bürgergeld → Grundsicherung renaming (applies to everyone, already in force since 1 July 2026) with the separate bill to cut payments for newly arrived Ukrainians (not yet passed).
• Thinking you need to file a new application because of the name change — you don't, the switch is automatic.
• Ignoring letters from the Jobcenter, assuming the reform doesn't apply to recipients with temporary protection status.
• Assuming your §24 residence permit needs urgent renewal because of this news — the status has already been extended separately, until March 2027.

Rules change often — always check the current requirements on the official government source listed above before acting.