Needy pensioners do not receive any citizen's benefit - there is still money. From January 1, 2023, it replaced unemployment benefit II (ALG II) - colloquially known as Hartz IV.
Pensioners who cannot make a living on their own have the option of applying for the so-called basic security. The German Social Association describes it as “a benefit to secure a living.” The German pension insurance explains: “As a needy person, you can receive basic security in old age and with full incapacity”