Lindner rejects plan for child welfare in this election period
Currently, in the Bundestag, the so-called Children's Opportunities Portal is still being discussed, but it only concerns an informational offering, stressed the FDP leader. "Whether more cooperation between authorities is possible in this legislative period remains to be seen."
The Child Benefit is intended to bundle several social benefits for families with children and make them more accessible. The intended start date was originally this year. However, the FDP continues to oppose it. They accuse Family Minister Paus of creating excessive bureaucracy in the fight against child poverty and reducing incentives to work.
Paus sees her plans, despite Lindner's rejection, not yet as failed. However, she now supports a two-stage model being discussed in the Bundestag, in which structural changes for the authorities responsible for family benefits are initially postponed.
In the budget compromise of the government coalition, it was agreed for the coming year to increase child benefits and child supplements for low-income families; the contained immediate supplement of monthly 20 Euros to improve the chances of poor children should be continued.
The law on Child Benefit is still in the parliamentary procedure, Paus stated in the ARD-Inforadios on Thursday evening. "We still have the summer break to think about it. And then we'll manage it."
Since there is no legal basis yet, the responsible Federal Employment Agency (BA) has not yet begun implementing the plans for the Child Benefit. The agency has, however, provisionally allocated positions in their personnel budget, the BA stated to the "Handelsblatt". These positions are "frozen until the law is passed."
The Left party chairwoman Janine Wissler called Lindner's continued opposition to the Child Benefit "embarrassing". The Child Benefit is "urgently necessary to improve the living situation of millions of children and young people in Germany", Wissler told the Funke Media Group newspapers. Lindner's rejection is "a slap in the face for millions of families" in Germany.
"To really do something against child poverty, it takes a bundled and sufficiently high benefit for Children, which reaches all children", explained the chairwoman of the Social Association VdK, Verena Bentele. "The government must now have the courage to initiate the system change. Anything else is meaningless."
- Despite the Federal Parliament's ongoing discussion about the Children's Opportunities Portal, which mainly focuses on informational offerings, Christian Lindner, the FDP leader, remains skeptical about the potential for increased cooperation between authorities on this issue during this legislative period.
- Lisa Paus, the Family Minister, has not seen her plans related to the Child Benefit as a complete failure, despite the FDP's continued refusal, and is now advocating for a two-stage model in the Bundestag, which initially delays structural changes for the authorities responsible for family benefits.
- In an ARD-Inforadio statement, Paus revealed that the law on Child Benefit is still in the parliamentary process, and they have the summer break to consider further actions before making any decisions.
- Editorial Network Germany reported that the responsible Federal Employment Agency (BA) has provisionally allocated positions in their personnel budget for the Child Benefit plans, but these positions remain "frozen until the law is passed."
- Verena Bentele, the chairwoman of the Social Association VdK, VdK, emphasized the necessity of a bundled and sufficiently high benefit for children to effectively address child poverty, urging the government to take action and initiate the necessary system change.
