Household - Söder wants a general overhaul of the citizens' income
Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder (CSU) wants to fundamentally revise the citizens' allowance via a Bundesrat initiative and is also calling for the increase in benefits to be postponed. "The traffic light must postpone the increase planned for January by one year and completely rethink it," the CSU leader told Stern magazine.
"The benefit must be separated from flight and asylum. There needs to be more motivation to go to work. That is why we will introduce an initiative in the Bundesrat for a general overhaul of the citizens' allowance. Because the balance between supporting and demanding is not right," said Söder, explaining the initiative.
The citizen's income has not passed the practical test, the overall level is too high and it sets the wrong incentives, criticized the Minister President. "Anyone who works must clearly receive more than someone who doesn't work. That's why we need changes."
Djir-Sarai: Reassess citizen's income
FDP Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai called for the significant increase in the citizen's income planned for January 1 to be withdrawn in view of the budget problems. "It is absolutely clear that the welfare state in Germany costs too much money. Every third euro spent by the federal government goes on social spending. This is no longer possible," Djir-Sarai told Bild am Sonntag.
"That is why it is now urgently necessary to reassess the citizen's income. The planned increase on January 1 is no longer appropriate," added the FDP politician. It is unacceptable for the government to increase the Citizen's Income by twelve percent in times of tight budgets and with the lowest inflation since 2021. Social Affairs Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) must stop the planned increase. "Anything else is also unacceptable to the working population," explained Djir-Sarai.
Payments to Ukrainian refugees
Söder also called for a stop to citizen's allowance payments to newly arrived Ukrainian refugees. "It would not be lawful to cancel anything retroactively. But we must change course for all new cases," said the CSU politician. "And for all other new arrivals, social benefits should only be granted after five years instead of 18 months."
Alexander Throm, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group's domestic policy spokesperson, also spoke out in favor of ending the payment of citizens' benefits to newly arrived refugees from Ukraine. "When it was decided that the war refugees from Ukraine would all immediately receive a citizen's allowance, it was well-intentioned by everyone involved," the CDU member of parliament told the German Press Agency. However, the decision proved to be counterproductive as far as the willingness to take up work was concerned.
On January 1, 2024, the more than five million recipients of the citizen's income are to receive an average of around 12 percent more money - single people will then receive 563 euros. In contrast to previous adjustments, inflation, which had risen sharply for months, was taken into account more strongly in the calculation for 2024 due to a change in the rules.
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- The Federal Council, led by Minister President Markus Söder from Bavaria's CSU, is advocating for a comprehensive review of the citizens' income policy through a Bundesrat initiative.
- Söder believes that the increase in citizens' allowance benefits planned for January should be postponed and reconsidered as part of a broader overhaul.
- The FDP Secretary General, Bijan Djir-Sarai, has urged for the withdrawal of the significant increase in the citizens' income planned for January 1 due to budget constraints.
- Djir-Sarai argued that the planned increase is not appropriate given Germany's current tight budgets and record-low inflation since 2021.
- In light of the high cost of social spending and the need to balance support and demand, Söder calls for changes to the citizens' income system to ensure that workers receive more than those not working.
- Söder has also suggested halting citizens' allowance payments to newly arrived Ukrainian refugees, with the exception of cases already in progress.
- Alexander Throm, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group's domestic policy spokesperson, echoed the calls to halt the payment of citizens' benefits to newly arrived refugees from Ukraine.
- Starting January 1, 2024, over five million recipients of the citizens' income will receive an average of around 12 percent more money, with the increase calculated more strongly in light of rising inflation.
Source: www.stern.de
