Majority of Germans Favor Curtailing Benefits for Some Welfare Recipients: INSA Survey
Berlin – A new INSA survey conducted for Bild reveals broad public support for stricter regulations regarding social welfare benefits, notably concerning individuals perceived to be exploiting the system. the poll indicates a meaningful majority of Germans favor removing benefits from those who obtain nominal employment solely to qualify for state aid, and from those living in overcrowded, substandard housing while receiving financial assistance.
The findings come as Federal Minister of Labor and Social affairs Hubertus Heil prepares to implement reforms to the “Bürgergeld” (citizen’s income) program, aiming to address perceived loopholes and reduce costs. The debate centers on concerns that some individuals, particularly those from Bulgaria and Romania, are securing minimal-wage employment contracts - sometimes as low as €100 per month – to then claim citizen’s income and housing benefits from the state.
the survey highlights public frustration with what is seen as an exploitative practice involving inflated rental costs. Reports suggest landlords are accommodating a large number of benefit recipients in small apartments,charging high rents per square meter – up to €100 per square meter in some cases – while authorities currently only assess the reasonableness of rent for single-person dwellings,not the actual living conditions or per-person costs. Minister Heil has announced plans to address this, proposing measures including a municipal cap on housing costs.
The potential savings from the Bürgergeld reform are subject to differing estimates. CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann anticipates savings in the “billions of euros,” stating, “No one can predict the number precisely. But the goal must be to save money with the reform.I am confident that several billion euros can be saved. Crucially, we must create a new sense of fairness and quickly reintegrate people into the workforce.”
Though,Minister Bas downplayed expectations of considerable savings from stricter sanctions,emphasizing that the primary goal is to increase employment. “We agree that savings in basic security will primarily be achieved when we get more people into work with the reform. For that, we need economic growth above all,” she told Bild.
According to the Ministry of Labour, reducing the number of Bürgergeld recipients by 100,000 would equate to annual savings of approximately one billion euros. The success of the reform, therefore, hinges on a significant increase in employment opportunities.
