Many Ukrainians found refuge in Germany, fleeing a full-scale war. They receive financial assistance from the state, and the amount is larger than in some other European countries. According to some politicians, refugees are in no hurry to look for work to meet their needs on their own because of the payments, so it is necessary to reduce financial support.
More than 1 million Ukrainians have moved to Germany. Under the Bürgergeld financial assistance program, they are entitled to payments of 502 euros for an adult living alone. Separate payments are made for utilities, rent, school fees, and advanced training courses.
Moreover, from 2024, the amount will increase to 563 euros. If a family consists of two people, the allowance will be 506 euros instead of 451 euros. Children and teenagers receive slightly less. According to the German authorities, about 700 thousand Ukrainians have been granted Bürgergeld.
Of these, 480,000 are of working age, while only 17% were able to find a job. For comparison, in Poland and the Netherlands, the share is 66% and 70%, respectively. Some German politicians believe that it is inappropriate to spend so much money on financial support for refugees who do not want to work.
According to Reinhard Sager, the head of the German district authorities’ association, Bürgergeld eliminates the motivation to look for work, as Ukrainians have enough money allocated by the state. Of course, no one is talking about a full-fledged abolition of payments, but it is possible that methods will be used to improve the employment situation.
For example, Labor Minister Hubertus Heil recently announced some relaxations regarding language skills. After all, it is impossible to get a job with good pay without knowing German, and for this you need to undergo special training, during which it is better not to leave the territory of the state.
If, even after the language requirements are relaxed, refugees do not look for work without good reason and live only on financial support, their benefits may be reduced by 30%. Although such sanctions are not currently enshrined in law.
German pension for Ukrainians
As a reminder, Ukrainian pensioners have the right to receive a pension in Germany. But for this to happen, certain conditions and criteria must be met, among other things:
- to legally reside in the territory of the state, even with refugee status;
- reach retirement age in accordance with German law;
- have an official job and insurance;
- pay contributions to the pension fund for at least 5 years.
Thus, Ukrainians who first went abroad after the outbreak of a full-scale war will not have a German pension, as they will not have enough work experience earned there. It should be noted that the retirement age also differs from the one established in Ukraine, as it is increased every year by 2 months per year.
