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The energy crisis threatens livelihoods: Fear is rampant in Freising

2022-10-05T17:08:13.930Z


The energy crisis threatens livelihoods: Fear is rampant in Freising Created: 05.10.2022, 19:00 By: Helmut Hobmaier The next heating bill rolls towards people with low incomes like an avalanche. Without comprehensive state aid, livelihoods would be threatened, the welfare organizations in the district fear. © Büttner/ dpa The crisis also threatens livelihoods in the Freising district. The gas


The energy crisis threatens livelihoods: Fear is rampant in Freising

Created: 05.10.2022, 19:00

By: Helmut Hobmaier

The next heating bill rolls towards people with low incomes like an avalanche.

Without comprehensive state aid, livelihoods would be threatened, the welfare organizations in the district fear.

© Büttner/ dpa

The crisis also threatens livelihoods in the Freising district.

The gas price brake must now come very quickly, the welfare organizations are demanding.

District

– Horrendous electricity bills, skyrocketing heating costs and expensive groceries: For many people in the Freising district, the current crisis means an existential threat.

The welfare associations in the district are therefore enormously relieved after the resolution of a state 200 billion defense umbrella.

Because without comprehensive and quick help, people would be pushed out of society, causing enormous suffering - and destroying livelihoods.

AWO: The municipalities are also required

According to AWO chairman Heidi Kammler, the gas price cap is just in time.

"People are really scared right now," the socially committed former city councilor knows from countless conversations.

Above all, pensioners, students and families with low incomes are threatened without help.

Many are already saving on groceries: "Many a politician should take a look in a pensioner's fridge," suggests Kammler.

A room temperature of 19 degrees has often long been a reality.

These people would have no financial leeway.

It also doesn't help much to offer additional payments in the form of installments for electricity or heating costs - "after all, they also have to be paid once".

In view of the acute plight of many people, the gas price brake is the right way - "even if it will not solve all the problems".

One thing is particularly important to the AWO chairman now: "That all democratic parties help each other and don't play political games." The crisis is too serious for that.

At the same time, of course, the AWO is also trying to help in acute emergencies.

"We do what we can - and we get quite a few desperate calls.

But we can usually only advise.

Our financial resources are just limited,” reports Heidi Kammler.

"Unfortunately, the donations we receive are not infinite."

Caritas: People are left behind

The crisis has also long been an acute issue at Caritas.

It is already a drama that mostly takes place in silence and causes "a lot of suffering", reports Markus Mehner, Head of the Social Counseling Department.

There are already desperate calls because the additional payments required exceed the income.

Mehner believes that the issue will only really hit the ground running when the energy suppliers "send their bills".

The agreed gas price brake is therefore extremely important.

But it must now be implemented quickly and must not be delayed by political tactics.

The monthly budget of many citizens is already “sewn to the brim” and many have just survived the Corona years because they had already tightened their belts.

"The current horrendous price increases are more or less on top of that," says Mehner.

The possibility of financial help is also limited at Caritas.

In individual cases one can help those in need with donations - but on a broad front it is impossible to absorb the impact of the price increases.

"We advise our clients, we go through their budgets and skim off all possible assistance." But financial help is also "a very limited resource" at Caritas.

That is why it was important and right for politicians to save citizens from unbearable costs when it came to providing assistance.

"Otherwise people will be left behind and pushed out of society," fears the social counselor.

The energy flat rate of 300 euros is just a "drop in the ocean".

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Diakonie: Tensions in families are increasing

Susanne Roller can only confirm that.

The current development is "actually amazing," says the social worker at Diakonie Freising.

Even the current electricity payments are unaffordable for many – and the ancillary costs are sometimes as high as the basic rent.

Without government help, many a citizen would soon no longer be able to participate in social life - or even lose their home.

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

It does not only affect the recipients of unemployment benefit II. The crisis has now also reached people who have been doing quite well with their income so far.

Above all, however, the pensioners are a group that "quickly falls down behind" without quick help.

Susanne Roller also felt “fear and insecurity” in many people in conversations.

The financial bottlenecks have already caused conflicts in the families: "There are more and more tensions."

Skepticism about the double boom: just wait and see

The consultant from KASA (Church General Social Work) is still somewhat skeptical about Chancellor Olaf Scholz's "double boom".

“That would have to be done very quickly now,” demands Roller.

Before giving the all-clear here, one would have to wait and see "whether the help will actually reach the people who urgently need it".

The Diakonie can advise those seeking help, but cannot provide the financial help to compensate for the skyrocketing costs of numerous households.

That is only possible in individual cases.

Without the donations of the citizens, who still have room for improvement financially, the crisis will hardly be manageable.

You can find more current news from the district of Freising at Merkur.de/Freising.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-10-05

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