More money for young people: The Bundestag’s budget committee is making more money available for BAföG. In addition, planned cuts to the Federal Voluntary Service were reversed.
In its budget discussions, the Bundestag Budget Committee increased BAföG funding for students. “As a traffic light budget, we are making an additional 150 million euros available for BAföG,” explained Green Party politician Bruno Hönel this morning.
In this way, precautions are taken for a possible recalculation of the subsistence level of students. In addition, the budgetary conditions would be created for an urgently needed BAföG structural reform. “We need this structural reform in order to bring a higher number of students at risk of poverty into BAföG and to improve the financial conditions for BAföG recipients in the long term,” explained Hönel.
No cuts at all Voluntary services
At the same time, the budget holders in the Bundestag have also almost completely reversed planned cuts to voluntary services. According to information from the dpa news agency, they are increasing the financing for 2024 by 80 million euros. 53 million of this comes from the Federal Voluntary Service. There is an extra 27 million for the Voluntary Social Year, the Voluntary Ecological Year and the International Youth Voluntary Service.
“In view of the difficult general conditions, these increases are a great success,” emphasized Green budget politician Hönel. SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich explained: “This means that the voluntary services and the federal voluntary service would be fully funded next year.”
Cuts to youth migration services and the so-called respect coaches against anti-Semitism were also reversed. Overall, Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens)’s budget is to be increased by almost 230 million euros. Your budget is “central to our democratic and social coexistence,” said Green Party chief budget officer Sven-Christian Kindler. Voluntary engagement is systemically relevant.
Final deliberations in the next week
The Budget Committee interrupted its deliberations on Friday night after the individual plans of all ministries had been discussed. The final discussions are scheduled to take place on Thursday next week.
Before that, the hearing of experts on the consequences of Wednesday’s Constitutional Court ruling is planned for next Tuesday. The Federal Constitutional Court had removed 60 billion euros in unconstitutionally transferred loans from the traffic light government’s financial planning.