Familys
Cabinet approves immediate child supplement and one-off payment
The federal cabinet has approved an immediate surcharge for children and young people from poorer families. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa-Pool/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Poorer families are to receive 20 euros more per month from July. Needy adults should also be relieved once. Now it still needs the approval of the Bundestag and Bundesrat.
Poorer households can expect financial relief from July: This Wednesday, the Federal Cabinet approved the so-called immediate surcharge for children and young people from poorer families and a one-off payment for adults in particular need.
According to this, children and young people in families who are dependent on social benefits should receive 20 euros more per month from July. In total, around 2.9 million people will benefit from the surcharge – contrary to what was previously planned, around 200,000 children of asylum seekers are also to receive it.
The parties of the traffic light government had agreed on the “immediate surcharge” in their coalition agreement as a transitional arrangement until the planned so-called basic child security is introduced, which is intended to bring together all social benefits for children.
Corona one-off payment of 100 euros planned
The law that has now been introduced also provides for a one-off corona payment of 100 euros for adults who receive unemployment benefit II, basic security or social assistance in July. The money is intended, among other things, to compensate for additional corona-related burdens such as purchases of FFP2 masks.
In order for the changes to come into force, the Bundestag and Bundesrat still have to agree. “It is clear that the welfare state will continue to support people in difficult times,” said Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) on Wednesday.
Federal Minister for Family Affairs Anne Spiegel called the immediate surcharge “a first important step towards a real paradigm shift in the fight against child poverty”. It was “unbearable that in a rich country like Germany so many children have to make do with so little,” said the Green politician.