The difference between Bürgergeld (citizen’s income) and the new Grundsicherung is more than a new name: since 1 July 2026 the Social Code Book II (SGB II) has new rules on assets, housing costs, breaches of duty and reporting appointments. This comparison sets out what can be verified in the statute and in Federal Employment Agency guidance, and separates it from what remains open.
It is the same basic income support for jobseekers under SGB II. In the statute the cash benefit is now called “Grundsicherungsgeld”; in everyday speech people say the new Grundsicherung.
In short: Since 1 July 2026 Bürgergeld is called Grundsicherungsgeld in SGB II (last updated November 2026). New are, among other things, a uniform 30 percent cut of the standard need for breaches of duty, age-based asset allowances from 5,000 to 20,000 euros and a cap on housing costs at one and a half times the reasonable rent.
Key points
- The legal basis is the 13th act amending SGB II and other acts of 16 April 2026 (Federal Law Gazette 2026 I No. 107). The changes apply from 1 July 2026.
- The benefit is called Grundsicherungsgeld in the statute. According to the Federal Employment Agency, notices issued so far remain valid in substance.
- For breaches of duty the standard need is cut by 30 percent (section 31a SGB II), for missed appointments by 30 percent for one month (section 32 SGB II).
- For assets, age-based allowances have applied since July 2026 (section 12(2) SGB II).
- Housing costs are not recognised as need to the extent they exceed one and a half times the reasonable amount (section 22 SGB II).
What is the difference between Bürgergeld and Grundsicherungsgeld?
The act replaces the term Bürgergeld with Grundsicherungsgeld in many provisions. Substantive changes sit behind it. The table summarises the points that can be verified in official sources (last updated November 2026).
| Topic | Bürgergeld (until 30.06.2026) | New Grundsicherung (from 01.07.2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Name of the benefit | Bürgergeld | Grundsicherungsgeld |
| Assets | flat allowance of 15,000 euros per person according to the amendment record, grace period for assets | age-based allowances from 5,000 to 20,000 euros, no grace period for assets (section 12(2)) |
| Housing costs | actual costs during the one-year grace period | grace period stays, but cap at one and a half times the reasonable amount (section 22(1) sentence 6) |
| Breach of duty | earlier version of sections 31 to 31b | 30 percent cut of the standard need (section 31a(1)) |
| Reporting appointments | earlier version of section 32 | 30 percent for one month from the second miss, loss of entitlement after three consecutive misses |
| Placement | no section 3a | new section 3a: placement takes priority over subsistence benefits |
| Childcare | rule from the third year of age | rule from the child’s 14th month (section 10(1) no. 3) |
The information on earlier rules comes from the amendment record of the act. For individual cases the version applicable at the time of the facts always governs. For missed appointments section 65a(2) SGB II provides that the old rules apply to misses before 1 July 2026.
How has the benefit cut changed?
Under section 31a(1) SGB II a breach of duty reduces the Grundsicherungsgeld by 30 percent of the standard need. The cut ends as soon as the duties are met or you declare, seriously and lastingly, that you will meet them in future. Costs for housing and heating must not fall because of the cut. For repeated breaches the total cut stays capped at 30 percent. Anyone who wilfully refuses reasonable work can lose the entitlement to the standard need altogether under section 31a(7).
Details are in the guides When the 30 percent cut applies (in German) and Missed Jobcenter appointment (in German).
What applies now to housing costs and assets?
For housing costs the one-year grace period remains. New is the cap: expenses above one and a half times the abstractly reasonable amount are not recognised as need. Higher costs can be recognised during the grace period if they are unavoidable or arise in households with children. Costs are also unreasonable if a square-metre ceiling is exceeded or the rent breaches the rent brake (sections 556d to 556g of the Civil Code). More in the guide Housing costs under Grundsicherung (in German).
For assets your age now counts. Up to age 30 the allowance is 5,000 euros, from 31 it is 10,000, from 41 it is 12,500 and from 51 it is 20,000 euros, in each case per person. The table and examples are in Asset allowance under Grundsicherung (in German).
What is still unresolved?
The amending act is enacted and in force. Open is the level of the standard rate from 2027. A federal government bill is pending that would reorganise the annual adjustment but names no amounts. The status is in Standard rate 2027 (in German). How courts interpret individual provisions will also emerge only over time. For students the basic exclusion under section 7(5) SGB II still applies, see New Grundsicherung for students (in German).
In practice this means: the change of name alone triggers no action. What matters is which rule applies to your facts. A level of assets that was unproblematic under the earlier law may be assessed differently against the allowance for your age. Rent that was recognised in full during the grace period may run into the cap. And a missed appointment has consequences that depend on the number of misses during uninterrupted receipt. Anyone who knows these three points can place notices and hearing letters in context.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bürgergeld now called Grundsicherung?
In the statute the benefit has been called Grundsicherungsgeld since 1 July 2026. It means the SGB II benefit that was called Bürgergeld until then. In everyday use media and Jobcenters speak of the new Grundsicherung.
Do I have to file a new application?
The Federal Employment Agency states that notices issued so far remain valid in substance. Whether you need to act is stated in your notice or in a message from the Jobcenter. The guide on the switch from Bürgergeld to Grundsicherung (in German) shows the next steps.
Does the new cut apply to old missed appointments?
No. According to the Agency’s internal guidance, misses established up to 30 June 2026 do not count as earlier misses under the new law. The old provisions apply to misses before 1 July 2026.
Where do I find the statute?
SGB II is available in its current version on gesetze-im-internet.de. The changes were promulgated in Federal Law Gazette 2026 I No. 107.
What to do now
- Read your current notice and note its date and the name of the benefit.
- Check whether your assets exceed the allowance for your age.
- Compare your rent with the local reasonableness limit named by the Jobcenter or municipality.
- Note all appointments and report any inability to attend, with reason and proof, in good time.
- If anything is unclear, ask the Jobcenter. For personal support with financial planning see how we work (in German).
Related guides
- New Grundsicherung since July 2026: what young adults need to know (in German)
- Switch from Bürgergeld to Grundsicherung: what recipients must do (in German)
- Grace period under Grundsicherung: what no longer applies since July 2026 (in German)
- Objecting to a Jobcenter decision: deadlines and procedure (in German)
Sources: Amendment record, 13th SGB II amending act, Federal Law Gazette 2026 I No. 107 (in German, last updated November 2026); Section 31a SGB II, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German, last updated November 2026); Section 12 SGB II, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German, last updated November 2026); Rights, duties and benefit cuts, Federal Employment Agency (in German, last updated November 2026); Internal guidance on section 32 SGB II from July 2026, Federal Employment Agency (in German, last updated November 2026).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
