After the traffic light coalition agreed on basic child security, Family Minister Paus called figures for the first time. By 2025 there could be up to 636 euros for the oldest children, she said. CDU leader Merz sharply criticized the plans.
Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus has given an estimate of how high the planned basic child security could be in the case of children at risk of poverty. In 2025, this could result in benefits ranging from 530 euros for the youngest to 636 euros for the oldest children, the Greens politician told the editorial network Germany.
This takes into account the announced increase in the standard rate of around twelve percent for 2024 and an assumed further “moderate” increase of three percent in the following year. “That’s a good amount to give children a little more participation and equal opportunities,” said Paus. The amounts are therefore the sum of the future child guarantee amount and the additional child amount.
Total costs “six billion euros and more”
Paus said she assumes that the costs of basic child security will increase by the further increase in the standard rate and also in child benefit above the previously mentioned six billion euros in 2028.
“If we achieve our declared goal of reaching as many families as possible in the coming years, basic child security will cost six billion euros and more,” emphasized the minister. “If we then add the additional costs for the child benefit increases that have already taken place, the higher child benefit and future increases in child benefit, we are already well over ten billion euros,” the minister predicted. “This federal government is doing a lot for families with children.”
Long dispute with the FDP
From 2025, the basic child security plan is to combine services for families such as child benefit, child allowance and other benefits from the basic income for children. A guaranteed amount – the previous child benefit – is to be paid according to the plans for all families, regardless of income. The aim is also to reduce bureaucracy so that all eligible families can apply for the benefits.
Social Affairs Minister Hubertus Heil announced on Tuesday that the citizen benefit rate would rise to EUR 357 for children under the age of six and EUR 471 for those aged 14 to 17 in the coming year.
The traffic light had already agreed on the introduction of basic child security in its coalition agreement. However, a permanent dispute had developed between the Greens and the FDP about how much money the state should now spend on basic child security and whether benefits should be increased or not. An agreement was only reached on Monday night.
FDP: “No expansion of the welfare state”
The FDP meanwhile announced a social reform stop for the traffic light coalition. “The basic child security is the last major socio-political reform of this legislative period,” said FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai of the “Bild”.
In view of the inflation and high interest rates, there should be no expansion of the welfare state, said Djir-Sarai. Instead of “further redistribution”, it must “now be about making money. The right framework conditions must be created for this and the political focus must also be on this from now on”.
The chairman of the young group in the FDP parliamentary group, Jens Teutrine, also spoke out in favor of relieving the burden on employees. “Urgently needed” are “relief in taxes and social security contributions and a significant increase in the mini-job limit so that work becomes more and more worthwhile,” he told the “Bild”.
Specifically, Teutrine proposes “a significant increase in tax allowances” and the withdrawal of the increase in unemployment and care contributions.
Merz criticizes high administrative burden
Criticism of the reform plans came from within the Union. CDU leader Friedrich Merz told the newspapers of the Funke media group that he did not consider the planned basic child protection to be very effective due to the high administrative burden. “The amount of bureaucracy involved in providing basic child security will be so high that at the end of the day, hardly anything will reach the children.”
Of the planned 2.4 billion euros, 500 million would be spent on additional administrative expenses, according to Merz. “That shows the whole madness.” There should be no new laws that create more bureaucracy.
“The problem is a lack of education”
When asked whether he would reverse the basic child security, he said: “We will definitely reverse the heating law of this federal government. With the basic child security, we’ll see what actually happens.” The right way is more education for the children, not more transfer payments for the parents. “We need a national effort for education and integration for children,” said the CDU leader.
Merz referred to figures from Federal Finance Minister Christian Linder (FDP), which make child poverty appear primarily as a migration problem. “We are convinced that the limited funds from public coffers must reach the children who need support and better education most,” he said. “Ever increasing social transfer payments do not solve the problem that leads to child poverty in the first place, and that is a lack of education.”