After the outbreak of the corona pandemic, many companies stumbled and the federal government came to their aid with billions of dollars in support. But this has consequences.
The Federal Ministry of Economics estimates that around 5 billion euros in Corona emergency aid was paid out too much shortly after the start of the pandemic in 2020. Of this, around 3.46 billion euros were repaid by around 550,000 companies and self-employed people, a ministry spokesman said. WDR, NDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung had previously reported on this.
The federal government’s emergency Corona aid could be applied for for a three-month funding period at the beginning of the pandemic in spring 2020. According to the ministry, a total of around 13.6 billion euros in federal funds were paid out.
Many claims for reimbursement end up in court
The Corona emergency aid was paid out quickly and unbureaucratically to micro-enterprises and the self-employed, explained the Federal Ministry. How the money was paid out was the responsibility of the states. From the outset, the approval of funds was subject to subsequent review and the associated possible repayment.
As WDR, NDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung report, citing a survey, there are around 1,800 lawsuits in court against repayment claims in North Rhine-Westphalia alone. This is the highest figure among the federal states. Baden-Württemberg follows with more than 1,100 lawsuits, and in the whole of Germany there are more than 5,500. Around half of the proceedings are not yet concluded.
Source: Stern
