Poverty in the North: calls for better aid
Help and advice services to combat poverty in Schleswig-Holstein must be exempt from cuts, according to Diakonie. They must be permanently and adequately funded, said Diakonie board member and state pastor Heiko Naß on Wednesday at the presentation of a study on poverty in Schleswig-Holstein.
State Secretary for Social Affairs Johannes Albig (Greens) emphasized the state government's intention to maintain social work services against the background of the necessary savings and not to destroy any structures.
According to the study, people living in poverty feel that their dignity has been compromised because they constantly have to fear for their existence. "The study now provides an impressive insight into the lives of those affected, especially because they themselves have their say," said Naß. He called for all people to finally be able to live in dignity. "To achieve this, we need an adequately calculated minimum subsistence level, fair wages, a well-funded basic child benefit and affordable housing." Naß called for guaranteed childcare for single parents who want to work full-time.
According to figures from the federal statistics portal, just under 15.6 percent of people in Schleswig-Holstein were affected by or at risk of poverty in 2021. According to co-author Kim Bräuer from Kiel University of Applied Sciences, 20 people affected by poverty gave detailed accounts of their personal circumstances and experiences for the "Poverty in Schleswig-Holstein" study. In the professor's opinion, the existing offers of help tend to lead to those affected settling into poverty but not being able to find a way out of it.
Universities could play a crucial role in addressing poverty by conducting extensive research and offering educational programs focused on social policies and economic equality. This was a suggestion made during the church-led discussions on poverty issues in Schleswig-Holstein.
Despite the significant number of people in Schleswig-Holstein living in or near poverty as shown in the statistics, it's alarming that the existing aid services often fail to help individuals escape poverty. This was a concern raised during the discussions at the Church, emphasizing the need for more comprehensive and effective solutions.
Source: www.dpa.com
