Relief for citizens is the declared goal of the energy flat rate.
Pensioners and students, however, get nothing.
Employees also get less.
Berlin - "38 percent of people in Germany are finding it increasingly difficult to pay for everyday necessities", with these words Amira Mohamed Ali, member of the Left Party, begins her speech in the Bundestag at the beginning of June.
That's where the relief package, including an energy flat rate, comes in at just the right time, one might think.
But here the MP is thwarting the plan, at least for pensioners.
Retirees and students are not entitled to the 300 euros energy subsidy.
Ms. Ali subsumes in her speech: "You, Mr. Scholz, get the energy flat rate - the old lady doesn't."
Energy flat rate: Employees must receive less than 300 euros
But employees also have to cut back on the energy allowance.
Of the propagated 300 euros, after the deductions, an average of 193 euros will still reach the employees, according to the finance ministry's response to a request from the Left Party.
300 euros energy flat rate - This is deducted:
income tax
income tax
solidarity surcharge
Source: time
The lump sum is to be paid out to employed persons who are subject to income tax in September.
From the 300 euros gross, between zero and 142.42 euros are then deducted, depending on income, several media and news agencies quote from the ministry's response.
Money for energy: pensioners and students are not entitled
According to the Ministry of Finance, the energy cost flat rate costs a total of 13.8 billion euros.
However, if you deduct the taxes that are withheld, the answer is only 10.4 billion euros.
Of these 10.4 billion euros, 1.6 billion will be taken over by the municipalities.
Half of the remaining 8.8 billion euros will be borne by the federal and state governments.
In addition to pensioners, students are also excluded from the flat rate.
Energy flat rate: Social association VdK wants to take legal action against unequal treatment
Not only the left criticizes the implementation of the energy flat rate.
From the ranks of various associations, criticism for the procedure hails.
In case of doubt, the social association VdK even wants to take legal action to the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe.
"This unequal treatment cannot be justified and is not justified in the law," says Jörg Ungerer, head of the VdK federal legal department.
(Lucas Maier)