Mit der Arbeitslosen- und Sozialhilfe bestehen nebeneinander zwei unterschiedliche, bedürftigkeitsabhängige Sozialtransfersysteme. Wo liegen die Probleme bei den einzelnen Instrumenten? Wie sind die Vorschläge zur Reform und Integration beider Systeme zu beurteilen? Wie sollte ein politisch...

In this article, we discuss reform elements of "Hartz IV". This includes, on the one hand, merging unemployment benefits with housing benefits and the additional child benefits (Kinderzuschlag) and, on the other hand, reducing disincentives which prevent the recipients from earning higher...

Germany's new government attempts once again to get rid of the infamous "Hartz IV" name for the country's basic income support. The new "Bürgergeld" not only sports a new name, it also formulates new rules for sanctions and for considering income and property.

The Hartz IV labour market reform in 2005 triggered a substantial reduction in unemployment in Germany. At the same time, it reduced social welfare for the long-term unemployed and increased uncertainty for the employed. The proposed reform by the new government ("Bürgergeld") will adjust the...

In its coalition agreement, the German government proposes a reorganisation of the rules of earned income to be considered as a means test of basic income. In doing so, it takes up a frequently voiced criticism of the design of the basic income support for job-seekers under Book II of the Social...

The authors discuss the reform of basic security in the direction of a "citizen's income" in the coalition agreement of the new "traffic light coalition" at the federal level against the background of fundamental considerations on the future of the welfare state, including those from the...

The new German federal government wants to replace the unemployment benefit II (Arbeitslosengeld II) with a so-called citizen's income ("Bürgergeld"). In doing so, it needs to make major changes. Measures outlined in the coalition agreement indicate that the existing imbalance in the so called...