Data released this week indicates a rise in instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to Germany’s citizen’s income benefits, known as Bürgergeld. In 2024, Job Centers across the country registered 421 cases classified as “organized benefit abuse.
According to responses to a request submitted by the Green Party and reported by the “Rheinische Post”, 209 of these cases led to the filing of criminal charges. This represents a substantial increase compared to 2023, when 229 instances were recorded, resulting in 52 formal complaints.
Currently, approximately 5.5 million individuals receive Bürgergeld.
Addressing these figures, Green Party parliamentarian Timon Dzienus emphasized the need for a more factual discussion surrounding the citizen’s income benefit system, advocating for greater objectivity in the ongoing debate. Fellow Green Party representative and parliamentary group deputy chair Andreas Audretsch questioned the potential for significant savings related to Bürgergeld, suggesting that earlier projections made by some political figures may be overly optimistic, citing a lack of detailed calculations from the federal government.