No citizen’s allowance supplement for the inflation year 2022

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Recipients of citizen's allowance cannot demand a top-up for 2022, a year marked by high inflation and the corona pandemic. The legislature had reacted “reasonably quickly”, decided the State Social Court (LSG) of North Rhine-Westphalia in Essen in a ruling announced on Monday, September 9, 2024 (ref.: L 12 AS 1814/22). The plaintiff had already filed an appeal against this with the Federal Social Court (BSG) in Kassel.

The plaintiff had claimed a “pandemic-related additional need” for 2022 and also referred to the high inflation at the time. Like the Münster Social Court, the LSG also dismissed the lawsuit. The level of the standard requirement was not unconstitutionally low.

No citizen’s allowance supplement for the inflation and corona year 2022

In its justification, the LSG referred to the legislature’s wide scope for action and the “complex democratic legislative process”.

The legislature reacted “reasonably quickly” to the corona pandemic and the high inflation of 6.9 percent in 2022. For example, recipients of citizen's allowance and social assistance received a one-off payment of 200 euros to compensate for inflation in July 2022. At the beginning of 2023, the benefits were then increased significantly – for single people by 53 to 502 euros.

LSG Essen: Legislators reacted quickly enough

The Lower Saxony-Bremen Higher Social Court in Celle had already made a similar decision for social assistance in 2022, also referring to the 9-euro ticket introduced in August 2022 (decision of August 24, 2022, ref.: L 8 SO 56/22 B ER; JurAgentur report of September 1, 2022).

The LSG did not allow an appeal against the judgment on citizen's allowance of December 13, 2023, which had also already been published in writing. The plaintiff has filed a so-called non-admission complaint with the BSG (ref. no.: B 7 AS 56/24 B).

Sebastian Bertram is a trained social worker and has managed a therapeutic facility for over 10 years. He is the founder and main manager of Gegen-Hartz.de. His main topics are social law, corporate law and politics. Sebastian is active in counseling for the unemployed.