According to Bavaria’s Health Minister Klaus Holetschek, caring relatives should be reimbursed for around two-thirds of their lost wages with taxpayers’ money. “I think a wage replacement benefit like parental allowance makes sense. That usually means 65 percent of the net income,” said the CSU politician to the German Press Agency. Caregiving relatives could take a care-related break from work without having to fear significant financial losses. The CDU health politician Tino Sorge had previously called for financial support for nurses.
Before the parliamentary summer break, the Bundestag and Bundesrat had passed a new care reform. The care allowance that is paid to those in need of care will increase by five percent from the coming year. The recipients of this benefit – which is currently between 316 and 901 euros per month depending on the degree of care – can pass the sum on to their relatives, but do not have to do so. Holetschek emphasized that he was pleased that the Union parliamentary group had taken up the proposal to introduce wage replacement benefits for caring relatives.
“We also need a public debate on the question of whether the state should pay family caregivers a wage in recognition of their social achievements. Housewives, the unemployed and pensioners, for example, would then also benefit from this.” The demographic development and the increasing shortage of skilled workers in all areas of life are also increasing the challenges in care.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is therefore called upon to finally initiate a major care reform. “The system must be consistently simplified and made more flexible. We cannot afford to have care offers based on complex billing options. People’s needs must be the focus.” He also supports better pensions for caring relatives, said Holetschek. “One element of a major care reform should therefore be that non-insurance benefits such as pension insurance contributions are tax-financed. I expressly reject financing at the expense of the insurance contributors.”