Status: 07/22/2022 07:25 a.m
Citizens’ income is one of the central projects of the traffic light – but the plans of SPD Minister Heil are not well received by the FDP: they insist on sanctions if those affected do not appear at appointments, for example.
The FDP insists on the maintenance of sanctions for citizen money, the successor model for basic security, if those affected do not appear for appointments, for example. “The citizen money should be an activation and not an unconditional basic income,” said FDP leader Lindner of the Funke media group, according to a preliminary report.
Lindner also opposes new methods of calculation that increase the standard rates of basic security. “There is a tried and tested method of adjusting the standard rates to price and salary developments. We should stick to that,” he said. This will already lead to an increase.
“Solidarity is not a one-way street”
Instead, Lindner relies on better additional earning opportunities for benefit recipients. “By combining citizen’s income and a job, the recipients should have more money available than today,” he said. “A mere increase in passive benefits would not be fair to those who work full-time for low wages and do not receive any benefits from the state.” Lindner emphasized that he was committed to improving the living situation of those receiving citizen benefit compared to Hartz IV.
Lindner emphasized that many people did not understand “that they should not only support the needy with their taxes, but also those who intentionally do not keep appointments or reject offered education and work”. Solidarity must always include the consideration of using society’s help only to the extent necessary.
His party colleague Jens Teutrine agrees. Solidarity is not a one-way street, said the member of the FDP parliamentary group responsible for citizen income from the dpa news agency. “As a last resort, sanctions are appropriate and necessary,” added Teutrine.
Criticism also from the Union
The Union is also skeptical about Heil’s citizen money plans. CDU leader Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that he was “very curious to see whether there are any incentives to return to the labor market”. The deputy CDU chairman Carsten Linnemann criticized in the “Bild-Zeitung”: “With this reform we are finally giving up Agenda 2010. It can’t be that almost two million jobs in Germany are vacant and the traffic light stops working made even less attractive by abolishing the principle of “support and challenge”.
Citizens’ income agreed in the coalition agreement
The introduction of citizen income is agreed in the coalition agreement between the SPD, Greens and FDP and is one of the most important projects of the traffic light alliance, but the FDP repeatedly expresses considerable reservations about the plans.
Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil presented his plans for structuring the citizens’ allowance on Wednesday, which is to replace Hartz IV next year. Among other things, Heil envisages increasing the standard rates and implementing the conditions less strictly than with Hartz IV. “I will present the draft law this summer and there will be a significant increase in the standard rates at the beginning of next year,” said the SPD Politician. “I am determined to change the way we calculate the standard rate. The current mechanism lags behind the price development too much.” According to Heil, the law should come into force on January 1st.