Germany to tighten social welfare access for EU citizens

The German government is planning to tighten access to social welfare benefits for EU citizens. Under a new action plan to prevent social benefit abuse, a five-year residency in Germany will no longer be sufficient on its own to qualify for benefits under SGB II and SGB XII. Instead, applicants will also need to prove that their stay during that period was lawful.

This measure targets a previous exception for certain foreign nationals. While those actively working may still be eligible for supplementary benefits earlier, the change introduces a requirement for legal residency status that could lead to complex verification processes for affected individuals.

In a separate development regarding the transition to the new 'Grundsicherung' (basic security) system, which replaced Bürgergeld in July 2026, recent data shows a slight decrease in recipients. As of August 2026, approximately 5,075,330 people were eligible for standard benefits, a decrease of about 202,710 people compared to August 2025.