- FDP leader: Citizens' contributions are 14 to 20 euros too high
FDP faction leader Christian Dürr has called for a reduction in the citizen's basic income**. Given the current inflation trend, the citizen's basic income is "currently 14 to 20 euros too high per month," Dürr told the "Bild" newspaper. "My proposal would be an adjustment downwards, because the last calculation overestimated inflation. This would both relieve taxpayers by up to 850 million euros and increase work incentives," said Dürr.
The citizen's basic income last increased by a total of 12 percent at the beginning of 2024. Singles have since received 563 euros per month, an increase of 61 euros. Recipients can expect a possible zero increase in 2025.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor said in late July that the basic needs standards had increased significantly compared to previous years. This was due to the high inflation beforehand. "We currently expect that, given the now decreasing inflation rates, there may not be an increase as of January 1, 2025."
Germany spent approximately 42.6 billion euros on citizen's basic income last year, compared to 36.6 billion the year before. The state cannot arbitrarily reduce the citizen's basic income. It is intended to ensure a humane minimum existence for those who cannot cover their living expenses from their own income and assets.
The FDP, led by Christian Dürr, advocates for a decrease in the current citizen's basic income due to its belief that it is currently 12 to 16 euros too high per month. Despite the proposed adjustment, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor mentioned that there might not be an increase in 2025 due to decreasing inflation rates.
