The Federal Council agrees to an increase in citizens’ money. The regulation is scheduled to come into force on January 1, 2024.
The Federal Council has approved the significant increase in citizens’ money next year. The state chamber approved a corresponding regulation from the federal government on Friday. This means that the increase in citizens’ money to secure the subsistence level by around twelve percent can come into force as planned on January 1st. Currently, more than five million people in Germany receive citizen’s benefit.
Citizens’ money replaced the previous Hartz IV payments at the beginning of this year. With the increase, adults living alone will receive 61 euros more per month in the coming year, and their citizen’s benefit will rise to a total of 563 euros.
For young people aged 14 to 17, the standard rate is to rise from 420 euros to 471 euros at the turn of the year. For children between the ages of 7 and 14, the rate increases by 42 euros to 390 euros, for younger children by 39 euros to 357 euros.
More support with personal school needs
The payment for providing personal school supplies should also increase to 130 euros in the first half of the school year in 2024 and 65 euros in the second half of the school year. The benefits from the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act will be increased accordingly.
The unusually high increase decided by the federal government is due to inflation and rising net wages – both values are included in the annual recalculation of the standard requirement, which is the basis for determining the citizen’s allowance. The increase will burden the federal budget with an additional 4.3 billion euros next year.
