(de-news.net) – Former Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière (CDU) has emphasized the pressing need for both simplification and comprehensive reform within the German social welfare system. He observed that, at the federal level alone, approximately 500 distinct social benefits are administered by more than 30 separate agencies, a complexity that, he argued, significantly undermines the overall efficiency and responsiveness of the state. According to de Maizière, such fragmentation not only creates bureaucratic redundancies but also risks generating inconsistencies in service delivery, placing undue burdens on both citizens and administrative bodies.
De Maizière highlighted several structural and regulatory challenges. In elaborating on the system’s inefficiencies, he noted that the Social Code, comprising over 3,000 sections, employs a range of conflicting definitions of income, while even fundamental concepts such as the definition of a child vary across different regulations. This lack of standardization, he contended, complicates eligibility assessments and creates uncertainty for both administrators and beneficiaries. Moreover, he identified the failure of certain agencies to exchange data — whether due to legal limitations, policy restrictions, or technological barriers — as a critical obstacle to an effective social state. De Maizière argued that once citizens provide their personal information to the welfare system, it is reasonable to expect that agencies would coordinate to ensure the individual receives the most advantageous benefits available. While he acknowledged that the principle might appear straightforward, he suggested that its systematic implementation would constitute a transformative shift in public administration.
De Maizière also welcomed the upcoming publication of the Social State Reform Commission’s findings, scheduled for early 2026, describing the initiative as an important step toward a more coherent and operationally effective social welfare framework. He had previously co-founded the campaign for a more functional state alongside entrepreneur Jäkel, former Finance Minister Steinbrück, and former Federal Constitutional Court President Voßkuhle, an initiative that had already produced a series of substantive policy recommendations.