Berlin – โขA pushโ to overhaul Germany‘s citizens’โค benefit program is gaining momentum, with CDU/CSU lawmaker Thorsten Linnemann signaling potential savings in teh “billions” โคwhile details remain elusive. The reform,โ spearheaded โขbyโค the coalitionโข government of โคthe Social Democratic Party โ(SPD) โคand the Christian Democraticโ Union (CDU), aims toโ curb abuse and โฃimpose stricter requirementsโ for recipients, but disagreements over the scale of savings persist.
Atโ theโ beginning of September,the government initially targeted five billion euros in savings – roughly ten percent of current expenditures on โthe civil allowance. Labor โmarket experts and social democrats believe achieving this target will necessitateโ harsher sanctions for those refusing work and a more aggressive crackdown on fraudulentโค claims. the debate over the amount of โpotential savings has intensified between the CDU/CSU and the SPD, withโ CDU leader Friedrich โขMerz prioritizing the โreform.
Labor Minister and SPD co-chair Bรคrbel Bas countered, framing the reform as a matter for the “chiefs and boss,” according to reports. Linnemann, โspeaking โon ZDF, emphasized a sharedโ commitment between the CDU/CSU and SPD โฃto eliminate abuseโ of โฃstate benefits, with plans to โtransition these fundsโฃ into a new basic security system. He predicted concrete proposals would emerge “inโค a week or two,” anticipating a positive public response.
The next coalition committee meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday, with Bas indicating plans to present draft legislation for the citizens’ benefit reform in October. The proposed changes include stricter sanctions and enhanced measures to combatโ abuse within the โคsystem.