Minors in Germany continue to be particularly affected by poverty. This is shown by the latest data from the German Children’s Fund.
The proportion of children and young people receiving basic income remains at an all-time high. “More than a third of those receiving basic security are children and young people, although their share of the total population in Germany is currently only just under 17 percent,” says Thomas Krüger, President of the German Children’s Fund. This means that children and young people are particularly affected by poverty.
According to figures from the German Children’s Fund, the proportion of people under 18 receiving basic income is 33.9 percent. This continues a negative trend: five years ago this value was 33.1 percent and ten years ago it was 30.3 percent. The children’s welfare organization refers to figures from the Federal Employment Agency.
The absolute number of children and young people in so-called communities of need is now lower than it was in the mid-2000s, as fewer people overall receive basic security, according to the children’s aid organization. However, the proportion of minors is increasing and is currently at a “historic high”.
Call for more support for poor families
The German Children’s Fund is calling for better short-term support for families affected by poverty. This included improvements to the standard citizen benefit rates for children and young people as well as increased efforts to further increase the take-up of the child allowance. “We have to ensure that families take advantage of the services they are entitled to and that all children have good development opportunities,” emphasized Krüger.
In principle, the organization sees the figures presented as confirmation of the need for basic child welfare. “If we want to combat child poverty effectively, there is no way around basic child welfare,” Krüger continued.
Social reform causes arguments at traffic lights
In September 2023, the Federal Cabinet passed a bill on basic child security. This is considered the biggest social reform of the traffic light coalition and is intended to bundle child benefit, the child allowance for low-income families and social benefits for children. The introduction is currently planned for 2025.
However, there has been a dispute in the government for weeks about the specific design. The FDP in particular criticizes the introduction of new administrative bodies that are to be created for implementation. It is still unclear when the Bundestag will finally discuss the project.