Stricter sanctions on citizens’ benefits and the end of pensions at 63: In a draft resolution for the upcoming party conference, the FDP made demands that immediately met with criticism from the SPD.
The FDP is pushing for further tightening of citizens’ benefits and wants to abolish pensions at 63. As can be seen from a resolution paper for the party leadership, those who refuse to work should be able to have their benefits immediately reduced by 30 percent. The paper is there ARD capital studio before. “Bild am Sonntag” first reported. The proposal is to be approved by the party’s executive board on Monday and presented at the party conference next weekend.
“Anyone who does not fulfill their obligation to cooperate with citizens’ benefits and, for example, refuses reasonable work without a good reason, should expect an immediate reduction in benefits of 30 percent,” says the paper. The scope for stricter sanctions must be exploited, “up to and including the complete cancellation of benefits”. The performance level should not initially increase any further.
At Benefit cuts The step model currently applies
The current regulation stipulates that the job center can withdraw a maximum of ten percent of the benefits for one month from those receiving citizen’s benefit for the first breach of duty. Thereafter, a reduction of 20 percent takes effect before there is the possibility of temporarily reducing the benefit by up to 30 percent.
Citizens’ money came into force on January 1, 2023. A core of the reform is weaker sanction options. With the new system, the federal government wanted to focus on more cooperation with those affected and less on pressure through punishment.
Only recently, however, did it decide to tighten things up: Since March, the job centers have been able to completely cancel the citizen’s benefit for unemployed people for a maximum of two months if they turn out to be “total refusers”.
FDP: Pension can no longer be paid at 63
But the FDP is not just targeting recipients of citizens’ benefit. She also wants to abolish the pension at 63. Germany can no longer afford this due to the shortage of skilled workers.
Instead, the Liberals advocate making working in retirement more attractive. For this purpose, the employer contribution to unemployment insurance could be canceled after the standard working limit has been reached.
FDP wants to cancel state funding for renewables
On the subject of energy, the paper states that renewable energies should be “finally introduced into the market” and should therefore no longer be subsidized by the state. The EEG levy, through which the expansion of renewables is co-financed, must be reduced and gradually abolished.
According to the report, the FDP also reiterated its rejection of the German and European supply chain laws: The German regulation should be suspended, and when implementing the EU supply chain directive, “every leeway should be used to prevent disproportionate and impractical burdens on the economy.”
Mützenich: “It has nothing to do with it more economical competence to do”
SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich clearly rejected the FDP’s plans. “The FDP’s proposals are a relic and not up to date,” Mützenich told the dpa news agency.
“The FDP’s contribution has nothing to do with economic policy competence, but rather with further burdens for the working population. We will not do anything that weakens employees and undermines the social ideas of the Basic Law.”
The leader of the Left, Martin Schirdewan, criticized the FDP paper as a “document of social cruelty.” If the SPD and the Greens allow the Liberals to get through again, they will be politically finished. The Left only has group status in the Bundestag, no longer faction status.
FDP wants “performance equity”
In view of Mützenich’s statements, FDP deputy leader Johannes Vogel warned that the “current weakness of Germany as a business location also endangers the strong welfare state in this country. “All coalition partners must have a common interest in achieving the economic turnaround,” Vogel told the dpa.
This includes easing the tax burden on citizens, but also creating “fair performance” when receiving basic security.
Manageable number of cuts due to “refusal to work”
From February to December 2023, the Federal Employment Agency (BA) counted 15,774 cases of benefit reductions as a result of refusing to work – with a total of around 5.5 million recipients of citizens’ benefit. Of these, 3.9 million were considered employable.
In total, citizens’ benefit recipients were sanctioned in 222,476 cases in 2023. According to the employment agency, the majority is due to missed appointments.
ARD Berlin, tagesschau, April 21, 2024 3:41 p.m