What a job center employee the “Bild” newspaper said, sounds alarming. The paper quotes him as saying: “We are actually unprepared at the grassroots level. We are currently running into the open knife.” The man’s statements refer to the new basic security, which is intended to replace citizens’ money.

A corresponding law should come into force gradually from July 1, 2026 following discussions in the Bundestag. “We don’t know how this is all going to work in practice. So far there hasn’t been any training from the bosses about it,” said the employee.

New basic security is to come this year

It has been clear for a long time that citizens’ money should be abolished. “The new basic security should make social benefits fairer and more accurate,” it says on the federal government website. Not only the name “citizens’ money” should be eliminated.

The so-called “placement priority” should also apply again. This means that it is checked whether a person can be placed in work immediately. If this is not the case, further training and qualification measures can be taken.

Also important: everyone who can work should contribute their labor to the maximum extent that is reasonable. “Single people in particular are obliged to work full-time if this is reasonable,” it says. And: Anyone who cancels a funding measure will face greater cuts in cash benefits in the future.

“It will be an enormous additional effort”

There is apparently unrest in the job centers, as the “Bild” report suggests. The paper spoke to two different employees about the plans for the new basic security. “If we have to check accounts, reserves and savings assets without ready-made IT solutions, that will be an enormous additional effort,” one of the two is quoted as saying.

Then an examination case by case is necessary. That takes time. The “Bild” newspaper also asked the Federal Employment Agency (BA). It was said there that there could definitely be a “temporary additional burden” with regard to IT.

Until the final legal text is passed, neither the BA nor the job centers can introduce binding regulations or make changes to the government software.