BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – In the dispute over basic child security, the FDP insists on not increasing state benefits for children, but on distributing them in such a way that more beneficiaries are reached. “Now it must be a question of increasing the effectiveness and not the transfer payments in the fight against child poverty,” said Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger of the German Press Agency. As provided for in the traffic light coalition agreement, the previous financial support must be simplified, automated and bundled, added the FDP politician.
According to estimates by the Ministry for Family Affairs, which is led by the Greens, the so-called child supplement for families with low incomes has so far only reached about every third eligible child. It is assumed that many do not apply because they do not know about their entitlement or the application is too complicated. Like various other state benefits, the child supplement is to be included in the new basic child security system from 2025. A simple application via a new portal should ensure that all beneficiaries receive the money they are entitled to.
The Greens and FDP have been arguing for weeks about how much the project should cost. Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) has registered a need of twelve billion euros because she also wants to increase benefits. Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) sees little room for maneuver in the budget and refers to the significant increase in child benefit to 250 euros a month that has already taken place – child benefit is also to be later transferred to basic child security.
The coalition wants to get children and young people out of poverty. For this reason, services such as child benefit and the child supplement have already been increased by seven billion euros per year, said Stark-Watzinger. She emphasized the role of education. This is the only sustainable way out of poverty. That is why the planned start opportunities program will strengthen early childhood education and schools with a high proportion of socially disadvantaged students./jr/DP/stk