A quarter of Berlin's children live on the Bürgergeld allowance
Recent government data revealed that around 150,000 children and adolescents under the age of 18 in Berlin live in families relying on Bürgergeld (citizen's allowance), which accounts for nearly a quarter of minors in the German capital.
According to a response from the Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie (Senate Administration for Education, Youth and Family) to an inquiry from the Left Party, 146,906 minors were living in what is known as "Bedarfsgemeinschaften" (need-based communities) by the end of 2024, which are families receiving financial assistance under the Second Social Code (SGB II).
Among these children, more than 100,000 lived in families where the main person or their partner held a foreign passport.
A total of 1,899 children and adolescents received ongoing assistance to cover living costs, while there were 54,800 children living in families with at least one working parent, but whose income was insufficient, necessitating the receipt of supplementary social assistance.
In an effort to reduce reliance on Bürgergeld, nearly 25,000 families in Berlin received what is known as Kinderzuschlag (child allowance) by the end of 2024, totaling 56,110 children. The figures show that the number of families eligible for this support increased by 40% compared to the previous year, while the number of benefiting children rose by 38%.