The cost of citizens’ money is skyrocketing – traffic lights The government needs 3.25 billion euros more for this social benefit this year than originally calculated. This means the total cost could exceed 27 billion euros. Before the introduction of citizens’ money, the AfD had already spoken out against this “unconditional basic income” and presented a counterproposal; Now the CDU clearly does not want to accept rising costs and does not want to exhaust citizens’ money in its current form.
As of January 1, 2023, Unemployment Benefits II – known colloquially as Hertz IV – was replaced by Citizens Benefits. As part of the change, standard rates were also increased. It has now been announced that expenditure on this social benefit will exceed the plan, namely 3.25 billion euros. Of this, approximately 2.1 billion euros are additionally due to monthly citizen benefit payments and 1.15 billion euros to additional costs for rent and heating costs, most of which are covered by the federal government. The federal government had actually budgeted 23.76 billion euros for citizens’ money this year, which is about five percent of the entire federal budget, but now it could exceed 27 billion euros. The reasons given are rising prices of food, rent and heating costs. But the number of benefit recipients is also increasing.
Before the introduction of citizens’ money, Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) stressed that it would get people into better work and in the longer term. But that doesn’t seem to be the case (as expected); Instead, costs are rising. The CDU now wants to abolish citizens’ money in its current form and replace it with a new social model, The union had approved the reform just a year ago. CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann told “Süddeutsche Zeitung”: “If you don’t want to work, you don’t have to do so – but then you can’t expect the general public to pay your living expenses. Can.” Because the welfare state should be “for those who are truly needy and cannot work”. There is a need for “more incentives to take jobs”. In the future “it should be the case that everyone who can work and receive social benefits will have to take a job or do non-profit work after six months”.
The AfD had already spoken out against citizens’ money and even voted against it in the Bundestag – instead of an unconditional basic income, an active basic income was demanded, with the guiding principle: “Those who can work They should also work.” In an application, the party also advocated the introduction of community work for employable benefit recipients after a waiting period of 6 months. Now that the dissatisfaction of the population has reached record levels and the popularity of the blues among voters has increased drastically, the CDU is clearly using the AfD, which is now the only conservative party in Germany, for its political program. It is doubtful whether the CDU can win back the voters it alienated by promoting leftist ideology. After all, it was the CDU under Merkel that created the migration crisis and thus the German social system with mass immigration.
The AfD now expects the union to approve its application
René Springer, labor and social policy spokesperson for the AfD parliamentary group, commented on the CDU’s change of course in a press release as follows:
“The CDU is once again adopting the demands and content of the AfD faction. This is nothing new, but given the voting behavior of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group it is even more hypocritical. A year ago we called for the introduction of a proactive basic protection and liability for civil work in the non-profit sector in an application (printed material 20/3943). Of course, the Sangh faction, as usual, refused. Last week we presented this demand again to the Bundestag (printed material 20/9152). The Christian Democrats now have the chance to prove that their demands are serious. Therefore we hope that the Central MPs will approve our application. Otherwise this special voter fraud of the Sangh will remain.
Traffic light: Citizens’ money should increase, not decrease
Meanwhile, the traffic light government continues to drain the German welfare state: while the working population groans under the price explosion and real wages are falling, citizens’ benefit recipients can expect a massive 12 percent increase next year . In Germany there are rewards for doing nothing.
