As of: January 30, 2024, 2:06 p.m
By: Hannes Niemeyer
Comments
Press
Split
The traffic light wants to introduce stronger citizens' money sanctions.
Federal Social Court President Schlegel now claims that even tougher measures are possible.
Berlin – Citizens’ money is becoming the hottest topic among the population.
There are endless debates about whether it is still worthwhile for some people to work under the salaries that the Ministry of Labor currently provides.
The fronts are also hardened in the traffic lights.
In particular, Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), who recently announced a zero round of citizens' benefits, and Labor Minister Hubertus Heil do not see eye to eye.
Heil himself is already planning sanctions and cuts for citizens' benefit recipients who persistently refuse reasonable work.
The plans are intended to make it possible to cancel standard benefits for two months in the event of such rejections.
The traffic light hopes this will result in billions in savings.
However, for the Union, for example, this does not go far enough.
An expert now also believes that an even stricter crackdown is absolutely possible.
President of the Federal Social Court criticizes new citizens' money plans
Rainer Schlegel, judge and president of the Federal Social Court, is quite critical of the increase in citizens' benefits, which has been in effect since January 2024.
Among other things, the amendment to the law has also “significantly lowered the threshold at which one is in need,” he explains in an interview with the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
.
The parameters were not specified by the Federal Constitutional Court; it simply stipulated that “citizens’ money must ensure a socio-cultural subsistence level”.
A specific height is not specified.
Citizens' benefits should be reduced for those who refuse to work - Judge Schlegel now says they could go even further.
© dpa |
Jens Kalaene + dpa |
Swen Pförtner (assembly)
Schlegel also criticizes that the plans to reduce performance for people who do not cooperate sufficiently with the job center are not consistently enforced.
The actions are “inconvenient” for the job center employees, but they must “make use” of the legal options surrounding violations.
Schlegel also has an answer to Jens Spahn's suggestion that, if necessary, the Basic Law should be changed in order to take tougher action against those who refuse to pay citizens' money.
Completely abolish citizens' benefits for those who refuse to work?
“Karlsruhe also allows for complete withdrawal of benefits”
According to the expert, this is not necessary at all.
In the case law on Hartz IV, the Constitutional Court “clearly and clearly stated that total refusers can be denied benefits if they refuse work that is reasonable for them without an objective reason,” said Schlegel in the
FAZ
interview.
He therefore sees the temporary cancellation of citizens' benefits for two months for “total refusers” as a step in the right direction.
The sanctions are not a panacea for the difficult federal budget for 2024. “But how we deal with this group is crucial to whether the entire system is accepted by the general population,” continued Schlegel, who even brings it into play: “Minister Heil could “We should act even harder on total objectors than the federal government is now planning.”
“Karlsruhe also allows complete withdrawal of benefits,” he explains in the
FAZ
interview, but also mentions that the government will not go that far.
So far, payments for accommodation or heating have remained unaffected.
“I understand that you don’t want to create homelessness,” the judge mentioned.
However, it brings into play a differentiation between single people and people with responsibility for their family.