Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) – Welfare organizations have asked the green-black state government to convene a social summit immediately. A state fund for social crises and emergencies of at least 500 million euros must be set up, said Roland Saurer from the board of the state poverty conference on Thursday in an online press conference in Stuttgart. The money was intended, among other things, to cushion social hardship as a result of the Ukraine war and the corona pandemic.
The League of Free Welfare advocated a comprehensive national strategy to reduce the risk of poverty. The risk of falling into distress is also affecting more and more middle-income groups. That will be a huge challenge for the welfare state, said executive director John Litau. He and other representatives of social organizations called for the introduction of a scrapping premium for old refrigerators. Energy can be saved with the help of new devices. Such a premium already exists in several southwestern municipalities.
The 147 Baden-Württemberg food banks experienced an unprecedented rush to the free food delivery, as board member Udo Engelhardt announced. In the meantime, more than 200,000 people affected by poverty have sought support from voluntary organizations. “The burden cannot be placed on panels and the volunteers.”
Some time ago, the panels sent a call for help to politicians. After an initial conversation with the Ministry of Social Affairs, Engelhardt was not too optimistic that the organization could hope for help. “Politicians are also overwhelmed. We can’t buy much for praise.”
