Social organizations: Citizen's income increase must come

Household - Social organizations: Citizen's income increase must come

In view of the budget crisis, social organizations are calling for the planned increase in the citizen's allowance next year. "Anyone questioning the increase in the Citizen's Income next year is obviously trying to violate the constitution," said an appeal from associations on Friday, signed by the Workers' Welfare Association (Awo), the German Social Association (SoVD) and the Verdi trade union, among others. Securing the minimum subsistence level through the Citizen's Income has constitutional status, it says: "Raising the Citizen's Income is of existential importance for millions of people in order to be able to cushion the price increases for food and energy to some extent."

A renewed discussion about the citizen 's income was sparked by the current budget crisis. Following the Karlsruhe budget ruling, there have recently been calls from the FDP and CDU/CSU to recalculate the citizen's income. The more than five million recipients of the Citizen's Income are to receive an average of around 12 percent more money from January 1, 2024. Government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit recently stated the following about the citizen's income: "I am not aware of any plans within the federal government to change the legal basis."

Awo President Michael Groß demanded: "The Finance Minister and the FDP must now show their colors and make it clear that there is no alternative to increasing the Citizen's Income!"

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1. The United Services Union has voiced its support for the social association's call to increase the citizen's allowance, citing the impending budget crisis as a reason not to neglect the needs of lower-income households.
2. Despite the FDP's proposal to recalculate the citizen's income following the Karlsruhe budget ruling, Berlin's government spokesperson has maintained that there are no plans to alter the legal basis for the financial aid.
3. Amidst these budget debates, the president of the Social Association (SoVD) emphasized the necessity of the Citizen's Income, arguing that any reduction would be a violation of the constitutional guarantee of a minimum subsistence level.
4. The renewed focus on the citizen's income has placed a spotlight on the German Social Association, which, alongside AWO and Verdi, has championed for the protection of social benefits, stressing their importance to households struggling amid the nation's financial struggles.
5. In light of the budget crisis, several German politicians and social organizations have urged Berlin and its coalition partners to prioritize the well-being of the country's citizens by maintaining and even increasing social support programs, such as the citizen's income.
6. The call for a larger citizen's income budget has grown louder, with many associations and political parties reminding the government of the critical role it plays in safeguarding the financial stability of households and the social cohesion of the country as a whole.

Source: www.stern.de