Bedürftigen

Bedürftigen is a German noun referring to people who are in need of financial or material support. The term is used in everyday language as well as in legal and policy contexts. The plural form is die Bedürftigen, with der Bedürftige as the masculine singular and die Bedürftige as the feminine singular. The concept stems from Bedürftigkeit, meaning need or insufficiency.

In social policy, Bedürftigkeit denotes a condition that can make someone eligible for assistance or benefits. In Germany, welfare and social security laws frequently describe populations as hilfe- oder bedürftigkeitsabhängig, and terms like Hilfebedürftige (those in need of assistance) or Leistungsberechtigte (beneficiaries of benefits) are common. Eligibility is often determined through assessments of income, assets, and need, sometimes referred to as Bedürftigkeitsprüfung (means testing or needs assessment). Similar language is used in Austria and other German-speaking regions, with variations in terminology across institutions and programs such as Sozialhilfe or Grundsicherung.

Usage and tone: while the term is not inherently pejorative, it can carry stigmatizing connotations in everyday speech. Many institutions and advocates favor person-centered or rights-based language, such as Menschen in Not or leistungsberechtigte Personen, to emphasize dignity and agency.

Overall, Bedürftigen serves as a neutral descriptor within welfare discourse for individuals who require support, subject to legal definitions and contextual usage.