Rules for receiving benefits for Ukrainians in Germany are changing

Rules for receiving benefits for Ukrainians in Germany are changing

Ukrainian refugees in Germany will receive social benefits under the new rules. The system is being tightened - now they want to give out part of the money not in cash, but exclusively on a special card. It can only be used for an approved range of purchases and only in Germany itself.

The Bundestag made a corresponding decision, reports Tagesschau . It is noted that a special card is provided both for people with refugee status and for temporary asylum seekers, who are Ukrainians in the EU.

One of the purposes of implementing a payment card system is to prevent the transfer or transfer of money. It is noted that refugees could transfer social benefits to smugglers or relatives and friends abroad.

“In the future, they (refugees and asylum seekers - Ed.) will receive part of the state assistance for living in non-cash form, and not in the form of cash. The legal basis is the corresponding amendment to the Law on Assistance for Asylum Seekers,” explains edition. .

Specific amounts will be set by local authorities. They will also decide what restrictions are placed on withdrawals and other uses of state aid (for example, what goods can be purchased).

The change in law does not change the amount of assistance asylum seekers receive. From 2024 in Germany, 7,500 euros per year are paid per person (about 315 thousand UAH, approximately 26 thousand UAH per month). For comparison, in Poland, Ukrainians “on payments” receive 66 euros or about 2.7 thousand UAH per month.

This leads to Ukrainians moving to Germany from other EU countries. In addition, only 19% of Ukrainians of working age officially work in Germany. In neighboring Poland and the Czech Republic, for example, this figure is about 65%.