In the coalition dispute over basic child security, Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) receives support from the SPD leadership for her demand for twelve billion euros for the reform. “I assume that we will also need the amount of twelve billion euros,” said SPD co-chair Saskia Esken on Tuesday on ZDF. However, the financial requirements are currently based on estimates.
The main thing is to really reach all the children and their families who need this support, said Esken. Basic child security will definitely come in 2025. “We have agreed to overcome child poverty in Germany with basic child security,” said Esken. In the coalition agreement, the SPD, Greens and FDP had agreed to introduce this measure. “We will also implement that, of course,” said Esken.
Lindner is for basic child security, but does not want to provide twelve billion euros
Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) continues to resist this suggestion. “Instead of discussing effective means to combat the causes of child poverty, the talk is only about transfers of billions more,” he said on Tuesday. “But social policy is not measured by the size of the budget, but by sustainable social results in everyday life.” Christoph Meyer, deputy head of the FDP parliamentary group, accused Esken of talking about “dubious figures”. For his party he claimed: “The FDP does not calculate with moon figures.”
Lindner argues that the coalition has already made significantly more money available for the support of children and families than previous governments – for example at the beginning of this year with the largest increase in child benefits since 1996. In total, an additional seven billion are made available every year. “The essentials for basic child security have been done financially,” said the FDP leader picture on sunday.
That means: Lindner is not fundamentally opposed to basic child security, but he refuses to provide the twelve billion requested by Paus and the Greens for this purpose. SPD leader Esken, on the other hand, supports the Greens.
The basic child security is intended to bundle previous social benefits such as child benefit, basic income for children, child allowance and benefits from the education and participation package and simplify the application process. Paus also wants to expand the services. The Minister for Family Affairs presented a draft of a key issues paper in January, and since then the dispute with the FDP has flared up again and again.
The Family Ministry admits that the cost of twelve billion is based on estimates, Paus points to one DGB study, which put the annual costs at 12.5 billion euros. The Greens argue that the planned simpler application alone will result in additional costs. So far, only about a third of eligible families have claimed the child allowance. If almost everyone were to do this in the future, funds would have to be made available for this. –
Chancellor Scholz supports the project – but does not comment on the finances
The child supplement is intended to prevent mothers or fathers from having to apply for basic income simply because they have children. The state pays up to 250 euros per child per month.
So far, Olaf Scholz (SPD) has been remarkably reticent in the dispute. The chancellor had repeatedly expressed support for the project. Government spokesman said he was a big supporter of basic child security and that the reform would come. However, Scholz cannot be elicited any more details at the moment, especially not about financing. Scholz had supported the position of the FDP on other key issues in the coalition, such as extending the lifespan of nuclear power plants and accelerating planning.
The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) asked Scholz on Tuesday to take a position. Scholz and the SPD must “clearly show their colors for this most important social project in this election period,” demanded Anja Piel, board member of the DGB, in the Stuttgart newspaper and the Stuttgart News.