Erfurt (dpa/th) – Thuringia’s Minister of Social Affairs, Heike Werner, has criticized a reduction in citizen income by means of a sanction. “The standard rate of 502 euros is already too low for the subsistence level. But you can’t deduct anything from the subsistence level,” said the left-wing politician on Tuesday in Erfurt. If a single mother hasn’t made it to her appointments, she needs support instead of sanctions.
The Union and the traffic light coalition in the federal government had previously agreed on a kind of preliminary compromise on the design of citizen income. According to unanimous information from the Union and government groups, it provides for further decisive changes to the original draft law.
Among other things, there should be sanctions in the form of withdrawal of benefits from day one – without exceptions. This Wednesday, the mediation committee of the Bundestag and Bundesrat is to discuss the disputed points and decide on the compromise that has been reached. The original traffic light plans for citizens’ income had failed in the Bundesrat because they were not supported by the countries participating in the government of the Union.
Despite all the criticism, Werner emphasized that it was important that an agreement was reached. “Thus, those affected have certainty about the new regulations, which will apply from January 2023.”
The Thuringian CDU parliamentary group also welcomed the agreement. “The hard stance of the CDU has paid off,” said CDU faction leader Mario Voigt. The traffic light coalition made extensive concessions. The Thuringian CDU parliamentary group had sharply criticized the original plans for citizen income. A trust period of six months, during which there should be no reductions in performance in the event of breaches of duty, should now be completely eliminated after the agreement.
