According to the coalition of the CDU/CSU and SPD, new war refugees from Ukraine will soon receive reduced benefits.

The planned reduction in state benefits for new arrivals from Ukraine is well received by the population, according to a representative survey conducted by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of the German Press Agency.

According to the study, more than three out of four Germans (77 percent) support the idea that new war refugees from Ukraine should soon no longer receive citizen's income, but instead receive the reduced benefits for asylum seekers. Eleven percent of respondents consider this decision by the new CDU/CSU-SPD coalition to be wrong. Twelve percent of respondents did not dare to make a judgment on this issue.

The coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU, and SPD states: "Refugees with a right of residence under the Mass Influx Directive who entered Germany after April 1, 2025, should again receive benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act, provided they are in need."

In addition, need must be proven through consistent and nationwide asset assessments.

However, the exact form the new regulation will take is not yet known. Asylum seekers will receive the lower benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act for a maximum of 36 months, as long as a residence permit has not yet been granted. Once their residence status has been clarified, for example, through recognition as a refugee, those in need are entitled to citizen's allowance.

However, the "Mass Influx Directive" has applied to Ukrainian war refugees throughout the EU since 2022. This means that they receive residence status without having to apply for asylum.

Since June 1, 2022, refugees from Ukraine in Germany have been entitled to citizen's income if they cannot support themselves. This is set to change soon. They will once again receive the lower asylum seeker benefits. This planned change will not affect those who have been in Germany for a longer period of time.

The EU directive on Ukrainian refugees was extended until March 2026. Currently, more than 1.25 million Ukrainian refugees live in Germany. Over 60 percent of the people from Ukraine who have sought refuge in Germany since the start of the Russian war of aggression on February 24, 2022, are women and girls.

Of the 2,275 eligible voters who took part in the YouGov survey between last Friday and Monday, almost one in three (30 percent) said they had not yet met any refugees from Ukraine.