Status: 11/04/2022 4:23 p.m
The traffic light coalition wants to approach the Union and the federal states when it comes to citizen income. One amendment states that heating costs should now be considered appropriate. In the case of assets under protection, evidence may be required.
Just under a week before the planned Bundestag vote on the new citizens’ allowance, the traffic light coalition has agreed on changes to the proposed law. She still wants to get the approval of the Union.
As can be seen from a formulation aid to the SPD, Greens and FDP parliamentary groups, there should be some tightening of the planned two-year waiting period for benefit recipients. The amendment has been submitted to the dpa and AFP news agencies.
Controversy over the property
It is planned that the heating costs in the first two years of receiving citizen benefit should only be covered to an appropriate extent. The government’s original draft law did not provide for a limit on the assumption of costs during the so-called waiting period.
This had been sharply criticized by the Union, which had threatened to block the project in the Bundesrat on other points if the coalition made no concessions. Politicians from the CDU and CSU consider the planned protective assets to be too high. It should be 60,000 euros for the actual benefit recipient in the first 24 months. They are also bothered by the fact that the extensive waiver of sanctions reduces the incentive to take up work.
criticism of the municipalities
According to the deputy leader of the Green parliamentary group, Andreas Audretsch, this protective ability should now be examined more closely. Singles should be allowed to keep up to 60,000 euros in savings in the first two years of receiving citizen money. According to the previous plans, they only had to assure that they did not have more assets.
Now they should list their savings in detail so that the job center can check the information. According to Audretsch, however, the amount of the assets should remain the same. The draft law stipulates that other people in the household can each keep 30,000 euros.
In contrast to previous Hartz IV recipients, recipients of basic income should be able to stay in their apartment for two years, even if it is actually too big. The municipalities, among others, had criticized the fact that all heating costs should also be borne by the office.
Heil: Meet demands
“We reacted quickly to the demands of the Bundesrat and will make numerous changes in the Bundestag that also correspond to the wishes of the federal states,” said Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”.
“The reimbursement of heating costs, for example, is checked for adequacy so that no false incentives are set. And the job centers have more opportunities to take action against abuse of benefits.” This means that the traffic light meets the demands of the Union.
Successor to the Hatz IV benefits
According to dpa information, the compromise proposal is to be officially decided by the parliamentary groups on Tuesday. Next Thursday, the Bundestag wants to deal with the citizens’ income reform in the second and third reading.
According to the plans of the traffic light coalition, citizen money is to be introduced at the beginning of next year and replace the previous Hartz IV benefits. The standard rate for a single adult is to be raised from EUR 449 to EUR 502 per month.
Due to the extensive criticism of the Union, it is unclear whether the citizen’s income with the changes now planned by the traffic light will receive the necessary approval in the Bundesrat. If the law fails in the state chamber, a mediation process would have to be initiated.