BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – On Thursday, Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus gave concrete figures for the first time on how much money children and their parents could receive from the planned basic child security. In the starting year 2025, the basic child security will probably start at 530 euros for children up to six years of age, up to 636 euros for the oldest children, said the Greens politician in Berlin. In view of the costs, the coalition partner FDP has meanwhile rejected further possible social reforms with the traffic light and fundamental criticism of the social policy of the government comes from the Union.
Paus’ figures are only estimates. The basis for this was the significant increase in citizen income for the coming year, which has been known since Tuesday – the child share of the citizen income is to be included in the basic child security in the future – and assumptions about further developments, for example in inflation, because these also have an influence on the specific amount of the basic child security become.
From 2025, various state benefits for children are to be included in basic child security, in addition to child benefit, for example child citizenship benefit and child supplement for families with low incomes. The aim is to reach more people through a better overview, simple digital applications and active information for families about the benefits to which they are entitled. So far, many have not called for funds at all. Paus calls this hidden child poverty.
On Thursday she rejected the fact that basic child security was merely an administrative reform. It is much more than that. “It is a real system change. We are combining services, making it easier, changing the logic from people’s obligation to collect to the state’s obligation to provide and thus taking action against hidden child poverty. This reform will make a relevant contribution to help reduce child poverty.”
The Minister for Family Affairs had long argued with the coalition partner FDP about the costs that the project will cause. She had finally agreed with Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) on Monday night to around 2.4 billion euros for the first year – of which around 500 million euros were administrative costs. Paus himself originally spoke of 12 billion.
A look at the actual draft law now shows that the whole thing could cost significantly more than the 2.4 billion mentioned, at least in the long term. If up to 80 percent of those in need actually claim basic child security – and a higher claim is the declared goal – it would be around 6 billion euros a year.
The FDP in the traffic light coalition is now clearly stepping on the brakes with a view to the costs of citizen income and basic child security. “The basic child security is the last major socio-political reform of this legislative period,” said FDP Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai of the “Bild”, thereby confirming statements made by his party leader Lindner at the beginning of the week. “In the current situation, in view of inflation and high interest rates, it cannot be about expanding the welfare state,” said the Secretary General.
Increasing fundamental criticism of the social policy of the federal government comes from the Union. CDU leader Friedrich Merz, like his deputy Jens Spahn before him, criticized the increase in citizen income. Politicians must think of the people from the lower and middle income groups who are wondering why they should still work, he said in the ARD “Morgenmagazin”. With regard to basic child security, Merz said on the RBB Inforadio that the Union saw the difficulties of many families. What is needed, however, are “not constantly higher transfer payments, but better educational infrastructure”.
Social organizations and leftists also criticize the basic child security, but above all as insufficient because, in their opinion, it will not reduce child poverty. Left faction leader Dietmar Bartsch spoke on Thursday in Berlin of a “zero number”. What is available did not deserve the term basic child security.
In addition to the merging of the various services and the planned greater accessibility of people who have not yet accessed funds, according to information from the Ministry for Family Affairs, single parents in particular who receive citizen benefit should benefit from the basic child security.
Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) also pointed out to young people studying: Today’s child benefit, which is converted into the so-called child guarantee amount in basic child security, should be given directly to over 18-year-olds who are still in training or studying. So far, child benefit has only been possible with the predecessor in exceptional cases and in disputes with the parents, namely if one parent does not meet their maintenance obligations.
According to the draft, the money should not be counted towards student loans. “It is therefore also available to the child with Bafög funding as a parent-independent service,” says the draft law./jr/DP/jha