From January 1st, child benefit in Germany is to rise to 250 euros.
But a group of people does not benefit from this - particularly hard in times of inflation.
From January 2023, the child benefit will increase to 250 euros.
In times of inflation, this can be a relief for many mothers and fathers.
But single parents who receive a maintenance advance do not benefit from the increase.
Instead, the subsidy amount is reduced by the amount of the additional child benefit.
Child benefit increases, but single parents get nothing
Single parents usually have to manage everything: household, job and child or children.
A full-time job is often very difficult in such cases, but with less working hours, less money flows into the household budget.
If the other parent does not pay maintenance, the state provides support with the maintenance advance.
At around 180 euros per child per month, this is only part of the minimum standard rate.
And it is precisely this advance that ensures that single parents hardly get any of the increase.
The fundamental problem with single parents is that achievements cannibalize each other.
Miriam Hoheisel, Managing Director of the Federal Association of Single Fathers and Mothers
According to Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR)
, Miriam Hoheisel, Managing Director of the Federal Association of Single Fathers and Mothers, criticizes
: "Child benefit increases by 31 euros, the maintenance advance decreases by 31 euros because the child benefit is taken into account there.
That means that the bottom line is that nothing sticks – I have a zero-sum game.” A very similar thing also happens with Hartz 4, where there is no relief either, since the child benefit is offset.
Maintenance law: Reform in this area is complicated
Leni Breymaier (SPD) also understands that there is displeasure on this topic.
As part of the family committee in the Bundestag, she knows the difficulties, but according to the
MDR
also says that numerous measures also benefit single parents.
These include one-off payments or energy surcharges.
The issue of alimony is complicated.
“The problem is that the alimony advance is supported by mixed financing and therefore reform is not that easy.
Neither the federal government nor the SPD can decide that alone.
The federal states have to be at the table," said Breymaier.
Energy price flat rate simple: How much money is there for whom?
Energy price flat rate simple: How much money is there for whom?
Are single parents forgotten?
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A good half of single parents in Germany don't have much money left over at the end of the month.
© Ute Grabowsky/Imago
In Germany there are officially 2.7 million single parents and yet Miriam Hoheisel has the feeling that these people are not considered.
Single parents are disproportionately affected by poverty.
According to
MDR
, it would be less about new jackets and more about a filled fridge at the end of the month.
A good 50 percent of single mothers and fathers only have around 1,400 euros a month available - not enough to claim the child allowance in the tax return.
For these reasons, Hoheisel calls for “the project from the coalition agreement to be implemented quickly: a tax credit for single parents.”
If you want to save despite inflation, you can do so with a few tricks, for example when filling up with gas or shopping.
List of rubrics: © Ute Grabowsky/Imago
