Paritätischer: Participation package for children a failure
In Bavaria, on average only around one in seven children from Citizen's Income families receive benefits from the so-called education and participation package. Last year, only 14.9 percent of eligible children and young people between the ages of 6 and 14 benefited from the support. This is according to a study published on Friday by the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (Parity Welfare Association), which is based on data from the Federal Employment Agency.
According to the association, the education and participation package introduced twelve years ago has therefore failed. "The participation package does not create participation," said Margit Berndl, head of the association in Bavaria. "Because you can't get very far with 15 euros a month, due to a lack of local offers, bureaucratic hurdles or simply because the benefit is not known."
The Bavarian Ministry of Social Affairs pointed out that the report does not include cases in which local authorities provide participation benefits themselves. Furthermore, it is not a Bavarian peculiarity that benefits are claimed with varying frequency from region to region, but a nationwide phenomenon. Social Affairs Minister Ulrike Scharf (CSU) called on the federal government to reassess the minimum subsistence level in order to improve education and participation benefits.
According to the study, Bavaria is still below the national average of 18 percent. Bavaria ranks fifth in comparison with the other federal states, behind Schleswig-Holstein (58.1 percent), Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (38.1 percent), North Rhine-Westphalia (22.8 percent) and Lower Saxony (16.3 percent).
Compared to 2016, the proportion of eligible children benefiting from the benefits has fallen by 5 percentage points. According to the study, there are major regional differences: While it is 1.3 percent in Wunsiedel, Nuremberg reaches 68.1 percent. Here, the city informs families about the benefits.
The Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband is calling for the swift introduction of a basic child benefit at federal level, which is considered to be the social policy project of the traffic light government. The cabinet had already approved a draft bill by Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens). Parliament debated it at first reading on Thursday.
Despite the failure of the participation package in increasing participation for children living in poverty, the Bavarian Ministry of Social Affairs argues that the report does not account for local authorities providing participation benefits themselves. The lack of awareness about the benefits and bureaucratic hurdles also hinders children from benefiting from the support, affecting the overall success of the program. In addition, many families struggle to make ends meet with only 15 euros a month, which further underscores the impact of poverty on children's social affairs and family life.
Source: www.dpa.com
