Germany: ALG II households receive an average of 1068 euros per month

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Branch of the Employment Agency in Cologne: Rent is one of the cost drivers

Photo: Christoph Hardt / imago images/Future Image

The 2.68 million households receiving unemployment benefit II have received an average of EUR 1,068 per month since the beginning of the year, EUR 21 more than in the previous year.

Single households of Hartz IV recipients now have payment claims of an average of 858 euros (22 euros more) per month, as reported by the "Bild" with reference to new data from the Federal Employment Agency (BA).

Accordingly, the BA had increased the standard rates by three euros per adult in January.

The surcharges are around two percent.

The inflation rate in Germany, on the other hand, is expected to be 7.4 percent in April 2022.

In March 2022 it was 7.3 percent

Single parents now receive 1128 euros (22 euros more).

Partner households without children come to 1131 euros (18 euros more), partners with children to 1714 euros (31 euros more).

The surcharges will hardly increase the standard of living, because they will be more than eaten up by the increased costs for rent and heating – 433 euros instead of 419 per household per month.

For a household with five or more people, recipients of unemployment benefit receive an average of 829 euros (19 euros more) for accommodation costs alone.

Because of the high rents, welfare recipients in Munich and Groß-Gerau receive the most - 1214 euros per household.

Behind them are the Main-Taunus-Kreis (1211 euros), Offenbach (1204 euros) and the Hochtaunuskreis (1195 euros).

Berlin Hartz IV recipients get an average of 1171 euros.

There are the least in Hildburghausen (Thuringia) with 813 euros, in the Saxon Erzgebirge district (831 euros) and Bautzen (850 euros).

mike/AFP