Newly sparked debate - Despite budget crisis: traffic lights stick to citizen's income increase, assures government spokesman
Despite the budget crisis, the German government is sticking to the planned significant increase in the citizens' allowance at the beginning of 2024. "I am not aware of any plans within the federal government to change the legal basis," said government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit in Berlin on Monday. The citizens' income is set to increase by an average of 12 percent on January 1, 2024. An increase of 61 euros to 563 euros is planned for single people. Hebestreit clarified: "Everything that would have to be changed now would have to be done on a statutory basis." However, there are currently no plans for this.
The renewed discussion about the citizen's income was sparked by the government's current budget crisis. If the 2024 federal budget is to be passed this year, the SPD, FDP and Greens will soon have to agree on the future course.
The coalition party FDP and the opposition CDU/CSU had therefore called for the planned increase in social benefits at the turn of the year to be canceled. They justified this on the one hand with the savings constraints in the 2024 budget and on the other hand with the fact that the increase in rates by twelve percent was based on an inflation expectation, which, however, did not occur at the predicted level.
Heil joins the citizens' income debate
Criticism of these demands has come from Federal Minister of Social Affairs Hubertus Heil, among others. The SPD politician criticized it as "morally irresponsible and incompatible with the constitution to deny these people an adjustment of the standard rates". The statements "made by various conservative politicians are not a contribution to the solution, but are poisoning the social climate", he explained.
Heil declared: "Germany is and will remain a social constitutional state." Decency, solidarity and charity are a strength of our society. "With the citizen's income, we get people into work and at the same time secure the livelihood of people who are in need and need our help."
As examples, the Minister cited people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, single parents, children and young people as well as "hard-working employees who top up their wages to make ends meet".
Budget crisis triggers renewed debate
In contrast to previous adjustments to the standard rates, inflation, which has risen sharply over the months, was taken more into account in the calculation for 2024 due to a change in the rules. According to Secretary General Carsten Linnemann, the CDU wants to significantly reduce the Citizen's Income for young adults who are able to work if it comes to power.
The amount of the citizen's income is based on a so-called price index relevant to regular needs. Among other things, it takes into account expenses for food, household electricity, housing and public transport.
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- Despite the ongoing budget crisis, Olaf Scholz's Federal Government remains committed to implementing the planned significant increase in the citizens' income at the beginning of 2024.
- The opposition CDU/CSU and the coalition partner FDP have suggested canceling the planned increase in social benefits, citing savings constraints in the 2024 budget and the fact that the inflation-based increase was not as expected.
- Federal Minister of Social Affairs Hubertus Heil, a member of the SPD, has criticized this proposal as morally irresponsible and incompatible with the constitution, stating that it would deny necessary adjustments to standard rates for certain individuals.
- The traffic light coalition, consisting of the SPD, FDP, and Alliance 90/Greens, will need to reconcile their future course as they work to pass the 2024 federal budget this year.
- Bijan Djir-Sarai, from the FDP, has advocated that cancellation of the citizens' income increase would demonstrate fiscal discipline and help alleviate the budget crisis, although this view has been met with opposition by other coalition members.
Source: www.stern.de
