Heading Towards ‘Bürgergeld’: The Practice of Sanctions After the Judgment of the Federal Constitutional Court and ‘in Times of Corona’

Abstract

"In November 2019, the German Federal Constitutional Court initiated a fundamental reform of the regulations on sanctions in the German basic income system. This article explores how the Court’s decision has affected sanctioning practices in jobcentres. Drawing on street-level bureaucracy research, we conceptualise sanctioning practices in jobcentres as a routinised reaction to structural conditions that are shaped by partly contradictory demands from political, governance, organisational, and professional contexts. Based on interviews with employees in jobcentres and social counselling agencies, we find that sanctioning routines are significantly affected and irritated. The protective measures undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic have reinforced the thrust of the Federal Constitutional Court’s ruling in an unforeseen way. We discuss the findings in light of the cultural change in the basic income system envisaged by the upcoming so-called ‚Bürgergeld’reform." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Duncker & Humblot) ((en))

Cite article

Bernhard, S., Röhrer, S. & Senghaas, M. (2023): Auf dem Weg zum Bürgergeld: Die Sanktionspraxis nach dem Urteil des Bundesverfassungsgerichts und ‚in Zeiten von Corona‘. In: Sozialer Fortschritt, Vol. 72, No. 3, p. 257-273. DOI:10.3790/sfo.2022.00.0000.Berhard_Roehrer_Senghaas