As of: February 24, 2024, 1:46 p.m
By: Robin Dittrich
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Citizens' money was one of the controversial topics at Stern TV.
A theologian there speaks of “parasites” and “crimes against our children.”
Kassel - Hardly any other topic in Germany has as much potential for controversy as the citizen's allowance, which will be increased in 2024.
Some see it as necessary social assistance, others wonder why recipients don't go to work.
A theologian now expressed a one-sided view on Stern TV.
Controversial topic of citizens' money on Stern TV: Theologian expresses his criticism
The Stern TV program on February 21st started with the exciting topic of citizens' money.
The RTL program had created a survey in advance in which almost 10,000 people voted.
The question was: “Does the citizen’s money tempt people to do nothing?” The clear result: almost 95 percent said that it tempts them to do nothing, only five percent voted against it.
After a lengthy session with various recipients of citizens' money, the trained theologian Bernd Siggelkow had his say.
In the RTL program Stern TV, a theologian commented on recipients of citizen's money and spoke of "parasites." © Bihlmayerfotografie/Imago (symbolic image)
Siggelkow founded the Christian children and youth organization “Die Arche” in 1995.
In his latest book “The Crime Against Our Children” he addresses 60 years of child poverty and expresses some criticism of basic child welfare and citizen’s allowance: “There are many people who are wholeheartedly unemployed, who do not want to work at all, even though they “The theologian repeatedly spoke of “parasites” who cast a bad image on those who cannot go to work and receive community benefit.
According to Siggelkow, someone who turns down multiple job offers should not get the same as a single mother who cannot work.
Many politicians also agree with the theologian's opinion.
The second guest had a different opinion on the topic of citizens' money.
Marcus Weichert, managing director of the Dortmund job center, said: “People need individual help in their individual situation.” Weichert found that not all recipients of citizens’ benefit should be lumped together.
Many recipients of citizen's benefit are considered unfit for work
As the theologian Siggelkow stated, those recipients of citizen's benefit who could work but don't want to are clearly in the minority: "Perhaps four to five percent." Nevertheless, he does not want to ignore them just because they are a minority “There is a small proportion of people who take advantage of the system.” As the Arche founder goes on to say, he would stop paying for the apartment if job offers were rejected: “It’s better to support work than support unemployment.”
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Around 5.5 million people in Germany currently receive citizen's benefit, as the Federal Employment Agency published in January 2024.
Of these, 1.55 million people are not able to work and are therefore not allowed to go to work at all.
The reason for this could be a disability, but many of the citizens' benefit recipients are simply too young - almost one in four is a child.
Of the approximately 3.9 million employable citizens' benefit recipients, 1.7 million are unemployed.
They could go to work, but they don't.
(
approx
.)