Linnemann wants compulsory work for citizenship benefit recipients
The CDU/CSU has been struggling with the successor to the Hartz IV Citizen's Income from the outset. General Secretary Linnemann now wants to increase the pressure on recipients. Anyone who is able to work should have to accept a job or do community work after six months at the latest.
The CDU wants to oblige recipients of citizen's allowance who are able to work to work after six months at the latest. The welfare state must "be there for those in real need who cannot work", CDU Secretary General Carsten Linnemann told the "Süddeutsche Zeitung". This is why a "system change" is needed for the citizen's income with "more incentives to take up a job".
In future, "everyone who can work and receives social benefits should have to take a job or do community work after six months at the latest", said the Christian Democrat. "If you don't want to work, you don't have to - but then you can't expect the general public to pay for your living expenses either." The state owes this to "all those who go to work every day and thus make the state's social benefits possible for others in the first place", continued Linnemann.
He accused the traffic light coalition of having "unfortunately largely abolished" the system of incentives to take up work. For example, "the cooperation agreements between recipients of the citizen's allowance and the state are not binding".
Linnemann said that the CDU wanted to "anchor" the demand for a change in the citizen's income system in its new basic program. The Secretary General is also Chairman of his party's Basic Program Commission.
The citizen's income has been in place since January 1. It replaced unemployment benefit II - colloquially known as Hartz IV. After lengthy negotiations, the law was also approved by the CDU/CSU-governed states in the Bundesrat. The Citizen's Income currently amounts to 502 euros. On January 1, it will rise to 563 euros.
The CDU, with Carsten Linnemann as its General Secretary, criticizes the traffic light coalition for weaking work incentives in the Citizen's Income system. Linnemann, also the Chairman of the CDU's Basic Program Commission, aims to change this by making work or community service compulsory for able-bodied Citizen's Income recipients after six months.
Source: www.ntv.de
