There are always discussions about citizens’ money (symbolic image) Photo: picture alliance / CHROMORANGE
By BZ/afp
The CDU wants to oblige those who are able to work and receive citizens’ benefit to work after six months at the latest.
The welfare state must “be there for those who are really in need and cannot work,” said CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” on Tuesday. That’s why there needs to be a “system change” in citizen’s money with “more incentives for taking up jobs”.
In the future, “everyone who can work and receives social benefits must take a job or work for a non-profit organization after six months at the latest,” said the Christian Democrat. “If you don’t want to work, you don’t have to do it – but then you can’t expect the general public to pay for your living expenses.”
The state owes this “to all those who go to work every day and thereby make the state’s social benefits possible for others,” Linnemann continued. He accused the traffic light coalition of having “unfortunately largely abolished” the system of incentives to take up work. For example, “the cooperation agreements between citizens’ benefit recipients and the state are not binding.”
Linnemann said that the CDU wanted to “anchor” the demand for a system change for citizens’ money in its new basic program. The general secretary is also chairman of his party’s policy program commission.
Citizens’ money has been available since January 1st. It replaced unemployment benefit II – colloquially known as Hartz IV. After lengthy negotiations, Union-governed states also approved the law in the Bundesrat.