Citizen’s money
Spahn: Stricter sanctions for refusing work
Jens Spahn (CDU) wants stricter financial sanctions for recipients of citizen benefits who refuse to work. photo
© Kay Nietfeld/dpa
According to Union parliamentary group vice-president Jens Spahn, not accepting a job that is offered should have greater consequences in the future. What exactly does he have in mind?
Union faction vice-president Jens Spahn wants stricter financial sanctions for those receiving civil benefit who refuse to work. The CDU politician said in Berlin: “Anyone who can work should work.”
A debate is needed about the question of what consequences it has for people who do not accept a job that is offered. He doesn’t care about those who can’t work – because of illness, disability or a difficult phase in life. There should be appropriate, sensible support for them.
It’s about 24-, 28-, 33-year-old “healthy, fit young people” – he expects them to accept an offer for a qualification or a job, says Spahn. If it is not accepted, this should also have greater financial consequences than before – especially at a time when there are tens of thousands of open jobs.
“Pact for performance and hard work”
The Union wants to bring this topic into greater discussion in the next few months. Spahn again spoke of a “pact for performance and hard work”. He mentioned a limit on social security contributions, tax exemption for overtime and a reform of citizens’ benefits.
Spahn had already criticized the planned increase in citizens’ money. Social Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) had announced that citizens’ money would be increased by around twelve percent next year.
Spahn also criticized the discord in the traffic light coalition on key issues. He cited the debate about an industrial electricity price as an example – the Greens and the SPD parliamentary group are in favor, the FDP is against it, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is skeptical.
Spahn said that the Union wanted to make proposals for an “economic and energy policy turnaround” in the next few weeks. He spoke of a supply-oriented economic policy, tax cuts for investments in Germany and reductions in bureaucracy.