In a Sat.1 report, Jörg Pilawa lives on citizens' money for a week. The experience changes his perspective on poverty.
Berlin – 14.2 million people in Germany are affected by poverty. Almost 5.5 million people, around 6.5 percent of the German population, receive citizen's benefit. The Federal Employment Agency reported this in 2023. Since the increase in the citizen's benefit contribution, the topic has again been particularly present in public discourse. The television presenter Jörg Pilawa wanted to see for himself and for the Sat.1 report “Jörg Pilawa: Suddenly poor” (April 15th) he moved in with a family in a socially disadvantaged area in Berlin that lives on citizens' money for a week. He describes how this experience changed his perspective.
Jörg Pilawa admits in a citizen’s money report: “I couldn’t live like that”
Jörg Pilawa lived for a week with a family that receives citizen's benefit and realized: “I couldn't live like that.” The family consists of two parents and four children and lives “a life on citizen’s money, with 127 euros a week”. Pilawa wanted to “go deeper” and decided: “My mission: help around the house.” He slept on the sofa, helped with housework, stood in line for food at the food bank and confessed: “I couldn’t live like that.”
During the report it became clear how much Jörg Pilawa was touched by what he experienced and how warmly he was welcomed by the family. He admitted that his "view of poverty in Germany has changed" and that he was reaching his limits "physically and emotionally" despite having to survive on so little money for just a week.
Jörg Pilawa is “ashamed” of cliché images
Pilawa admitted that he was ashamed of his preconceived notions about citizens' benefit recipients. “I just pop in there and act like Super Nanny and say a little something and then leave again. And then I just realized that I had really fallen off my high horse because I couldn't imagine living like that before," he said.
He added: “It’s close, sure. But it's doable for a week. The problem would be if I had to do it for the rest of my life or for months. Because then everything revolves around money all day long. I'm also going home with shame, I'm also ashamed of myself. For having such cliché images in your head. I only realized that here.”
Viewers criticize the citizen's allowance calculation, but also praise Pilawa
The report, which only reached 0.77 million viewers and 5.7 percent of 14-49 year olds when it was broadcast, caused discussion on the Internet. “A bit unrealistic for BG recipients, many don’t have 18 euros a day just for groceries,” someone commented on X. Another agreed: “18 euros a day for shopping is incorrectly calculated! That's 540 euros for 30 days. Where is the money for electricity, internet, smartphone, clothing, etc. It's probably more like five euros per day for food." Several people calculated that they would have more like five to six euros per day for food.
Some critical voices also commented on the living situation in the article: “I find this form of documentation voyeuristic. What do you think?". There was a specific comment on Instagram about the apartment that Pilawa moved into: “Being poor doesn’t mean being dirty.”
However, there was also a lot of positive feedback: “Respect” and “Mega show” could be read on Instagram. The moderator himself also received rather positive feedback: “Jörg Pilawa is not only likeable, but also has a lot of empathy,” it was said, for example. But of course his rating does not come without mixed feedback.
By the way, you can easily use an online calculator to check how much citizen's money you are entitled to. A former citizen's benefit recipient and current pensioner recently made it clear that the amount was “clearly too little”. Others, however, say that they see no advantage in working.
(jh)