Status: 14.11.2023, 08:58 a.m.
By: Kathrin Reikowski
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Federal Minister of Labour Hubertus Heil (SPD) defends the citizens' allowance © on "Hart aber fair" Screenshot ARD/ Hart aber fair
A debate is developing between the CDU and Labour Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) about the citizens' allowance. The CDU is calling for a "change of system".
Berlin - The CDU wants employable recipients of citizens' benefits to go to work after six months at the latest. The welfare state must be "there for those who are really in need, who cannot work," CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann told the Süddeutsche Zeitung. That is why there is a need for a "system change" in the citizens' allowance with "more incentives for taking up jobs".
"Someone who is so stupid as to resign because of the citizens' allowance will not receive any citizens' allowance for the time being, he will first get a block on unemployment benefits," Labour Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) counters in the ARD programme "hart, aber fair". The citizen's allowance is not an unconditional basic income. You have to be needy. Those who do not cooperate could also have their benefits reduced by up to 30 percent.
Citizens' allowance to increase by 2024 percent in 12
The background to the CDU's demands for a change in the system are rising costs for the citizens' money. It was only on Wednesday that it became known that Labor Minister Heil will have to spend about 2024.3 billion more in 15. The citizens' allowance is to be increased by more than twelve percent in the coming year. Heil points out that the sharp increase has to do with this year's high inflation. However, if inflation falls again in 2024, the subsequent increase in citizens' money will be "relatively meager," the minister predicted.
If you only receive citizens' money, this would also have "very terrible consequences" for later pension entitlements. He emphasized that work must be rewarding. For this reason, the minimum wage must also rise and collective bargaining coverage must be increased.
This is the Citizen's Allowance
Anyone who lives in Germany, is older than 15 but has not yet reached retirement age and is needy but able to work (at least three hours a day) can receive citizens' allowance. (Source: Employment Agency)
"If a job is reasonable and the Jobcenter asks you to accept it, then you must accept it. After all, anyone who receives benefits from the state, i.e. from the taxpayers, must also play an active role in ensuring that he or she can stand on his or her own two feet financially as quickly as possible." (Source: Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs)
Linnemann (CDU) wants to anchor system change demand in basic program
Linnemann (CDU) justifies his demand for a change of system with all those "who go to work every day and thus make the social benefits of the state possible for others in the first place." He accused the traffic light coalition of having "unfortunately largely abolished" the system of incentives to take up work. For example, "the cooperation agreements between recipients of citizens' allowance and the state are not binding".
Linnemann said that the CDU wanted to "anchor" the demand for a system change in the citizens' allowance in its new policy program. The Secretary-General is also chairman of his party's Policy Programme Commission. The citizens' allowance has been in place since 1 January. It replaced unemployment benefit II – colloquially known as Hartz IV. After lengthy negotiations, the law had also been approved by states governed by the CDU/CSU in the Bundesrat. (dpa/kat)