From 1 June, the nine-euro ticket will be valid nationwide on local transport. From June to August, holders of the nine-euro ticket will be able to use buses, trams, underground and suburban trains as well as regional and local trains in second class as often as they like throughout Germany. The ticket is valid for the entire month.

The Federal Government decided to introduce the nine-euro ticket as part of a relief package worth billions of euros in view of the sharp rise in energy prices. It is also hoped that the ticket will help the environment by encouraging people to use public transport instead of driving. Although the offer is primarily aimed at commuters, the nine-euro ticket can of course also be used for day trips.

You can already buy the nine-euro ticket. It’s available at railway stations and at ticket machines, ticket counters and online. Anyone who already has a monthly or annual season ticket for local transport will also be charged only nine euros in June, July and August. There will also be offsets for semester or job tickets throughout Germany.

Drivers can rejoice: from 1 June 2022, taxes on petrol will be cut for three months. In June, July and August, the energy tax will be equal to the European minimum rate. This measure is part of the previously mentioned relief package that the German Bundesrat passed in May. The price of diesel is thus to drop by about 14 cents per litre, the price of petrol by almost 30 cents per litre and the price of natural gas by 4.54 euros per megawatt hour. The government said: "We will ensure that the reduction is passed on to consumers," but it is still unclear whether mineral oil companies will really pass on the full amount of the temporary tax reduction to consumers.

It is expected that the fuel tax cut will lead to a rush at petrol stations and bottlenecks are to be expected from 1 June 2022. On the one hand, petrol station operators are presumably reducing their stocks considerably in order to have to sell as little highly taxed fuel as possible at a lower price from 1 June. On the other hand, it is to be expected that motorists will drive en masse to petrol stations to fill up their empty tanks cheaply from 1 June. Temporary bottlenecks at the pumps can therefore not be ruled out.

In view of the sharp rise in energy prices, the Federal Government wants to provide special support to low-income households: A total of around 370 million euros has been budgeted to ease the burden of heating costs for these households, and 2.1 million people will receive a one-off heating cost subsidy in June 2022. In addition to those on housing benefits, trainees and students will also benefit from the heating allowance. The money will be transferred directly to the recipient’s account without an application. A one-person household receiving housing benefits will receive 270 euros, a two-person household 350 euros and for each additional family member 70 euros. Students and trainees who receive state aid are entitled to a one-off payment of 230 euros.

Many Coronavirus vaccination certificates expire in June 2022. First of all, this will affect first as well as second vaccinations. The reason is that vaccination certificates were issued in pharmacies from 14 June 2021. They are valid for one year from the date of issue.

What do you do when your Coronavirus vaccination certificate expires? The Robert Koch Institute plans that vaccinated people can update their certificates themselves in the Coronavirus app as well as the CovPass app, and updates are pending. Anyone who needs a new vaccination certificate before the update can have it issued at the pharmacy.

Anyone not using the vaccination certificate in an app, but only on paper, should also have it updated now if possible. Because assuming that 3G, 2G or 2G+ rules are introduced again in autumn, an expired certificate can no longer be recognised as technical proof of vaccination.

Microsoft is finally retiring the browser Internet Explorer on 15 June. Anyone who has not already switched can use the newer software Edge from Microsoft or Chrome from Google, for example.

Refugees from Ukraine will be entitled to Hartz IV benefits as of 1 June. These can then be granted for a maximum of six months. Until now, this group has received lower benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act. This means that the people who have fled to Germany from the Russian war of aggression will in future be able to get advice and help in finding jobs from job centres.

The summer timetable for Deutsche Bahn and other transport companies will come into effect from 12 June, with only minor changes. For example, Deutsche Bahn is once again offering a direct connection between Berlin and the North Sea island of Sylt. In addition, Chemnitz will be connected to the long-distance network after a decade and a half and will get connections to Berlin and on to the Baltic Sea without changing trains.

Construction workers can look forward to a little extra money in June 2022. Employers and the union have agreed on two one-off payments in the 2021 collective bargaining negotiations. The first is due with the May 2022 pay, so workers will receive the payment in June 2022. However, it will only be paid to employees in the west of Germany. Construction workers in the east will not receive a one-off payment. Exactly one year later, according to the collective agreement, the second one-off payment is to be transferred. There will be an additional 450 euros paid with the May 2023 wages.

There’s good news for Aldi and Lidl workers: employees in the two discounters are to receive a higher minimum wage from 1 June 2022. It will go up from the current 12.50 euros per hour to at least 14 euros per hour. Aldi made the initial announcement and Lidl a few weeks later. Aldi justified the move with the current wave of price increases, Lidl followed suit shortly afterwards.

At Lidl, the wage increase will apply to employees covered by collective agreements. At Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd, new entrants and temporary student workers will also benefit from the increase. Trainees, on the other hand, will not receive an hourly wage of 14 euros.

The minimum wage at the two largest German discounters will thus continue to be significantly higher than the statutory minimum wage, which will rise to 10.45 euros in July 2022.

Original text: Sandra Liermann

Translation: Jean Lennox