While the debate about basic child security picks up speed, the Minister of Finance is hesitant. The German trade union federation sees the money as “well invested”.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner is skeptical about demands for more money for the planned basic child security. “Not everything that is desirable goes immediately,” said the FDP leader to the news portal t-online.
“Specifically, there is no concept for basic child security,” he added. From his point of view, it is all about digitization and simplifying the support of children, and not necessarily about more money. “Higher transfers are not always the silver bullet.”
increased child poverty
In the case of basic child security, various services from child benefit to child allowance and financial support for school trips and leisure time are to be bundled. Many families have so far not applied for benefits due to ignorance or bureaucratic hurdles. Families and their children should benefit from basic security from 2025.
Lindner pointed out that child poverty had increased primarily due to immigration. “So let’s take the example of a family where the parents don’t have a job and don’t speak German. Do we then simply transfer them more money? Or do we invest in language training for parents and children? And in the effort to get the parents into the job market to integrate?” Children also benefited from this in the long term, explained the finance minister.
DGB: 12.5 billion euros in annual additional expenditure
Criticism came from the Social Association Germany (SoVD). CEO Michaela Engelmeier told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (NOZ): “We now need a quick implementation of basic child security, and of course money has to be made for that. It is shameful that parts of the FDP and the Federal Minister of Finance are now pulling the handbrake .”
The Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB) expects annual additional expenditure of 12.5 billion euros for the introduction of basic child security. This is the result of a thesis paper by the federal executive board, which is available to the editorial network Germany (RND). Board member Anja Piel said: “Basic child security that fights child poverty will cost money.” The estimated additional costs of 12.5 billion euros are therefore “money well invested”. For financing, large fortunes and incomes would “finally have to be used more strongly”.
Source: Stern
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