Social affairs - Heil: Temporarily no citizen's allowance for refusal to work
Anyone who repeatedly refuses to accept a job will in future not receive a citizen's allowance for a certain period of time. This is provided for in a draft law from the Ministry of Labor of Hubertus Heil (SPD), which is available to the German Press Agency. The "Bild" newspaper first reported on the plans. They have not yet been finally approved by the cabinet.
In the draft, the ministry argues that there are "a few recipients of citizens' income" who persistently refuse job offers. However, the state is reliant on assistance only being taken up by those who need it. "The overwhelming majority of benefit recipients know that work makes a difference and work constructively," Heil told Bild. "But it is also clear that anyone who does not cooperate and refuses all offers must expect harsher consequences."
Constitutional court allows tightening
In future, the standard citizen's benefit rate of 563 euros per month (for single people) is to be completely abolished if someone does not accept reasonable work - for a period of up to two months. The state will only continue to pay the costs of accommodation and heating so that the unemployed do not become homeless.
Currently, the job centers are allowed to cut a maximum of 30 percent of the citizen's allowance. However, the Federal Constitutional Court recently allowed a tightening of this limit for cases in which a recipient of citizen's allowance refuses a concrete and reasonable job offer without good reason.
The CDU/CSU welcomed Heil's plans. "Anyone who refuses any job offer out of convenience should not count on the community of solidarity to support them financially," said Stephan Stracke (CSU), social policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, to the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers. "Solidarity is not a one-way street."
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- Critics of the SPD's draft law argue that it may disproportionately affect vulnerable citizens, potentially leading to hardships in managing their finances.
- The updated regulation, if approved, could result in a stark picture in picture newspapers, highlighting the implications of refusing work and the loss of citizen's money.
- Despite the controversy surrounding the draft law, some German politicians, such as Stephan Stracke from the CDU/CSU, support Heil's plans, emphasizing the importance of social responsibility and solidarity.
- The proposed changes to the citizen's allowance legislation are being closely monitored by various German media outlets, including the German Press Agency and berlin-based news agencies.
- Hubertus Heil, the Labor Minister and herald of the draft law, emphasizes that the reform is necessary to strengthen the German labor market, ensuring that work continues to be a priority for unemployed citizens in Germany.
- The proposed amendments to the draft law are a significant move in the debate around welfare policies, underscoring the tension between Germany's commitment to its social safety net and the need to encourage employment among its citizens.
Source: www.stern.de
