Citizens' allowance 2025: Why do the control rates remain the same despite falling costs?

From January 2025, the citizens' allowance, which was introduced in 2023 as a replacement for the former Hartz IV, will come into force with unchanged control rates. This means that the monthly services for the different groups of recipients remain the same. Single and single parents will continue to receive 563 euros, while couples each get 506 euros. Adults receive 451 euros in facilities, young people between the ages of 14 and 17 receive 471 euros, children between 6 and 13 years receive 390 euros, and toddlers between the ages of 0 and 5 receive 357 euros.

like suedkurier.de Public and media considerable criticism of the citizens' allowance. Critics fear that the standard rate does not offer sufficient distance from the minimum wage and thus creates incentives for humans to take advantage of social benefits instead of full -time employment. However, the IFO Institute does not put these concerns in the room. Around 5.6 million people in Germany are dependent on the citizens' allowance as a major livelihood.

zero round and their backgrounds

The decision not to increase the regulatory rates in 2025 results from the free round, which was decided in September 2024 by the Federal Cabinet and then by the Federal Council. The amount remains constant compared to the previous year, although the cost of living has decreased in some areas. The zero round is justified by the ownership protection regulation (§28a paragraph 5 SGB XII), which excludes a withdrawal of the services.

like bundes- government.de , the standard requirements are checked and adapted annually to secure the minimum subsistence level. The last adaptation took place on January 1, 2024, when the values ​​were increased by over 12 percent. For 2025, as already mentioned, the amount for single people remains at 563 euros. The support for personal school supplies also remains unchanged at 130 euros in the first school year and 65 euros in the second half of the school year.

The calculation of the citizen benefit is based on a mixed index that is based 70 percent on price development and 30 percent on wage development. Forecasts to increase the citizens' allowance for 2026 are currently uncertain, while the Deutsche Bundesbank predicts an inflation rate of around 2.2 percent by 2026. The final decision to adjust the citizens' allowance for 2026 will be made in 2025.