Status: 10.01.2024, 16:00 PM
By: Franziska Kaindl
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Anyone who receives citizens' allowance has obligations towards the job centres. If these are not observed, there is a risk of sanctions. Labour Minister Heil is also calling for a tightening of the rules.
According to the plans of the traffic light government, the citizens' allowance should serve to promote more instead of demanding. This also includes the fact that the sanctions for reporting or cooperation violations have been reduced to a maximum of 30 percent compared to the predecessor model, unemployment benefit II. In the meantime, however, a different wind is blowing again: In view of the budget crisis, Labour Minister Hubertus Heil wants to tighten the sanctions again.
Citizens' money: What sanctions are currently imminent for breaches of duty
If you want to receive the full extent of your regular needs from the citizens' allowance, you have to adhere to a number of obligations. Appointments at the job centre must be kept, deadlines must be met or qualification measures must be taken part. Anyone who does not adhere to the agreements and violates their obligations must expect sanctions or so-called reductions in benefits. However, the reductions only relate to the standard requirement, a reduction in the costs for accommodation and heating is not legally possible.
Recipients of citizens' allowance could be punished more harshly by the job centre. © Pond5 Images/Imago
Anyone who violates their obligations as a recipient of citizens' allowance must expect a reduction in the amount. This includes, for example, the rejection of a reasonable job offer. This is staggered:
- 1. Breach of duty: Reduction of the citizen's allowance by 10 percent for one month
- 2. Breach of duty: Reduction of the citizen's allowance by 20 percent for two months
- 3. Breach of duty: Reduction of the citizen's allowance by 30 percent for three months
In the event of a failure to register, the citizen's allowance will be reduced by ten percent for one month. This is the case if you do not respond to the Jobcenter's request to contact him or her or if you do not appear for a medical or psychological examination.
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However, the job centres will check on a case-by-case basis whether a reduction should be refrained from due to particular hardship. Those who can also give an important reason for their omissions are also spared. In addition, a sanction may be terminated prematurely if the persons concerned make up for their cooperation or seriously and sustainably declare their willingness to comply with their obligations in the future.
Tougher sanctions planned for breaches of duty in the case of citizens' money
According to the plan of the Minister of Labour, Hubertus Heil, it should be possible in the future to completely cancel the benefits for up to two months. This occurs when recipients "persistently refuse to take up reasonable work," according to the federal government's website. This would also meet the needs of the job centres, writes the Tagesschau: "For some of the recipients of citizens' benefits, the risk of financial losses is the decisive factor in working constructively with the job centre," says Diana Stolz, head of the social affairs department of the Bergstraße district in Hesse, in whose area of responsibility the local job centre falls.