The traffic light wants to reform basic child welfare. But for employment agency boss Andrea Nahles, this isn't happening fast enough.
Berlin – The head of the Federal Employment Agency, Andrea Nahles, has warned the traffic light coalition of a further delay in the planned basic child welfare. “If the federal government still wants to implement basic child security in this legislative period, then I unfortunately have to say: the clock is ticking, and very loudly,” Nahles told the Editorial Network Germany (RND) on Saturday. “We made it clear from the start that we would need more than a year to implement it. Or to put it another way: come to the pot!”.
Basic child support: If possible, only one point of contact for families for child benefit and child tax allowance
For the traffic light coalition, simplifying family benefits to combat child poverty is a prestige project; it describes simplifying family benefits to combat child poverty as its most important social policy reform. The specialist politicians from the SPD, Greens and FDP have been negotiating in the Bundestag for weeks about the basic child welfare bill from Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens).
According to the draft, the Federal Employment Agency should expand the family funds into family service centers. After the introduction of the project planned for 2025, families should, if possible, only have one point of contact for child benefit and the child allowance.
No increase in child benefit in basic child security: Linder wants to increase the tax allowance for children
The Federal Ministry of Finance is also currently discussing relief for parents. Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner wants to increase the tax allowance for children without simultaneously increasing child benefit. Child benefit, as a central part of basic child security, was increased to 250 euros in November 2022 due to rising prices, the ministry said on Friday. “The minister’s aim is to further relieve the burden on people,” said a spokesman. The Süddeutsche Zeitung had previously reported on the plans.
Parents automatically receive either child benefit or the income tax allowance for children. The tax office checks what is more advantageous for you. The allowance is often only worthwhile for higher incomes. According to the ministry's plans, the tax allowance should increase from 6,024 to 6,612 euros retroactively to January 1st. The general basic allowance should also be increased. This is necessary because, as a result of inflation, the standard requirements for citizens' money have also been increased more, said the spokesman. Child benefit, on the other hand, should remain the same. It has already increased significantly compared to the child allowance.
Traffic light disagrees on child benefit – criticism of Lindner's plans from the Greens and the SPD
However, the traffic light does not agree on this either. The coalition partner SPD does not agree with this. Lindner's plan only benefits families with very high incomes, according to the Chancellor's Party and the Greens. Criticism also came from the Left Party. Party leader Martin Schirdewan called for basic child security in the Funke Group's newspapers, which includes a monthly child benefit of at least 328 euros, staggered according to the parents' income.
According to a current table from the Federal Ministry of Finance, the NOZ exists, single earners with one child with a taxable income of 44,440 euros per year or more would benefit from an increase in the allowances. With two incomes and three children, the threshold for taxable income would be 102,912 euros. (cgsc with dpa)
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