German Federal Social Court rejects Bürgergeld application withdrawal tactic

On 12 March 2026 the Bundessozialgericht ruled that a recipient of Bürgergeld cannot change the material calculation of the benefit by withdrawing or restricting the application. The court affirmed that the entitlement period for distributing income from self‑employment – usually a six‑month assessment window – is fixed by law and is not subject to the applicant’s discretion. Consequently, an applicant’s attempt to exclude a large one‑off income by cancelling the claim does not affect the monthly average income used to determine the benefit.

Separately, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs confirmed that the new Grundsicherung, which replaces Bürgergeld on 1 July 2026, will keep the existing payment schedule. Benefits of 563 € per month for single recipients will continue to be paid in advance, at the end of the month for the following month. The first six payment dates are: 30 June 2026 (for July), 31 July 2026 (for August), 31 August 2026 (for September), 30 September 2026 (for October), 30 October 2026 (for November) and 30 November 2026 (for December).