Current hour - Citizen's income increase hotly disputed in Schwerin state parliament
The planned twelve percent increase in the citizen's income planned for next year sparked a heated debate in the Schwerin state parliament on Thursday. In the topical hour requested by his parliamentary group, CDU MP Daniel Peters renewed his general criticism of the state social benefit. "The aim of getting people into work is being minimized with the citizen's income," he said.
With the substantial increase in the new year, the gap to earned income will also become noticeably smaller and the temptation to be supported by the state will increase. There are already indications that employees are leaving their jobs in order to receive benefits instead. "The citizen's income must be abolished," demanded Peters. The state aid also acted as an incentive for economic migrants.
Like the CDU politician, AfD parliamentary group leader Nikolaus Kramer also referred to the disproportionately high proportion of foreigners among those receiving citizen's allowance. "Please don't steal the right-wing populist line from us," said Kramer in the direction of the CDU parliamentary group. He also spoke out in favor of obliging recipients of the citizen's allowance to do community work. FDP MP Sabine Enseleit referred to the growing demand for labor. However, the citizen's income hardly provided any incentive to take on jobs.
Speakers from the SPD, the Left Party and the Greens rejected the criticism of the citizen's income. The benefit secures the constitutionally anchored minimum subsistence level, said Green Party parliamentary group leader Harald Terpe. To polemicize against the poorest was repulsive. Henning Foerster from the Left Party accused the CDU of poisoning the social climate with its campaign. "The CDU wants to pluck the welfare state," he said.
Social Affairs Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD) pointed out that the increase in the citizen's allowance was also supported by the CDU-governed federal states. She accused the CDU parliamentary group in the state parliament of placing recipients of the citizens' allowance in the corner of those who exploit the welfare state. "That is indecent and shabby," said the Minister.
According to her, around 108,500 people in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern receive citizen's allowance. More than 82,000 of them are employed or studying and receive the benefits as top-ups. This is also an indication of the generally low wage level in the north-east. Nevertheless, the CDU is resisting an increase in the minimum wage and is also shying away from campaigning for more wage compliance in sectors such as tourism.
The approximately 5.5 million citizens' income recipients in Germany are to receive an average of around twelve percent more money from January 1, 2024 - single people will then receive 563 euros. In contrast to previous adjustments to the standard rates, inflation, which has risen sharply over the months, was taken into account to a greater extent for 2024 due to changes in the calculation rules. The amount of the Citizen's Income is based on a price index relevant to standard needs. Among other things, it takes into account expenditure on food, household electricity, housing and local transport.
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- Despite the CDU's criticism, the planned increase in citizen's income by 12% in the following year was supported by CDU-governed federal states.
- On Thursday, the Schwerin state parliament had a heated discussion about the proposed citizen's income increase, with Nikolaus Kramer, the AfD parliamentary group leader, also voicing his concerns.
- The increase in the citizen's income could potentially lead to a decrease in the gap between citizen's income and earned income, which, in turn, might encourage some employees to leave their jobs and rely on state support.
- Alongside the CDU, the AfD has highlighted the disproportionately high number of foreigners among those receiving citizen's allowance, calling for recipients to obligatorily perform community work.
- In the debate about citizen's income, the SPD, Green Party, and Left Party argued that the benefit ensures the constitutionally protected minimum subsistence level and criticized the CDU for attempting to undermine the welfare state.
- In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, approximately 108,500 individuals receive citizen's income, with around 82,000 of them being employed or studying while receiving benefits as top-ups, which underscores the low wage levels in the north-east.
Source: www.stern.de
