Family Minister Paus assumes that her draft law on basic child security will soon be passed in the cabinet. She dismissed claims that there was no concept as “false”. She did not name the costs.
Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus has expressed optimism that the Federal Cabinet will soon adopt basic child security. The draft law is available “with different calculation variants” and is going to the departmental votes, said the Green politician at a press conference in Berlin. 60 percent of citizens are in favor of the project, 75 percent of families with underage children are in favor of it: “Basic child security is overdue.”
Most recently, the main point of contention was how much money was earmarked for the project in the federal budget. Paus did not want to comment on the different variants for the costs, referring to the internal government coordination process. Questions from journalists were not possible at the press conference.
The minister defended herself against criticism that there was no concept for her planned basic child security. The key points have been available since January. “To still read that there is no concept for basic child security is simply wrong,” says Paus. This also “denies the work of all those who have put an incredible amount of energy into this government’s most important socio-political project over the past few weeks and months.”
Inform proactively
Paus said five existing benefits would be combined with basic child security. There should be a guaranteed amount for all children plus an additional amount depending on the family income. She is optimistic that the cabinet will soon agree. Around 5.5 million children would then benefit.
In the future, a body for basic child security will check whether parents are entitled to the additional amount and then inform them proactively. Families should be able to apply via an online portal. The benefits would be paid out automatically, says Paus. The state is in a “debt”.
Study warns of consequential costs of child poverty
The minister sees herself confirmed by a recent study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) commissioned by the Diakonie. She said that the planned basic child security is “an investment in the future of our children and in our prosperity. That’s why we should combine growth impulses with good framework conditions for families”.
The study points to the consequential costs of child poverty. “Early investment secures social and economic opportunities and saves the welfare state much higher follow-up costs,” emphasized Diakonie President Ulrich Lilie.
The often poorer access to educational opportunities for children affected by poverty leads to lower educational qualifications and limited career prospects. This in turn increases the risk of unemployment and means long-term social costs in the form of a lack of tax and social security contributions and additional transfer payments. “These costs amount to 1.5 billion euros a year for people from a year with insufficient education alone,” it continues.
The Greens politician Paus and Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner from the FDP have been negotiating for months about the amount that should be made available in the budget for basic child security. In the dispute over the equipment for basic child security, Paus prevented the adoption of the “Growth Opportunities Act” from Lindner’s department on Wednesday.
Paus reduced their claim from initially twelve to up to seven billion euros. Lindner wants to cap spending at two billion euros. Higher state benefits for families do not necessarily improve the children’s life chances, he told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. Each additional expenditure must also be counter-financed in the budget, said Lindner.