Berlin – A push to overhaul Germany‘s citizens’ benefit program is gaining momentum, with CDU/CSU lawmaker Thorsten Linnemann signaling potential savings in teh “billions” while details remain elusive. The reform, spearheaded by the coalition government of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), aims to curb abuse and impose stricter requirements for recipients, but disagreements over the scale of savings persist.
At the beginning of September,the government initially targeted five billion euros in savings – roughly ten percent of current expenditures on the civil allowance. Labor market experts and social democrats believe achieving this target will necessitate harsher sanctions for those refusing work and a more aggressive crackdown on fraudulent claims. the debate over the amount of potential savings has intensified between the CDU/CSU and the SPD, with CDU leader Friedrich Merz prioritizing the reform.
Labor Minister and SPD co-chair Bärbel Bas countered, framing the reform as a matter for the “chiefs and boss,” according to reports. Linnemann, speaking on ZDF, emphasized a shared commitment between the CDU/CSU and SPD to eliminate abuse of state benefits, with plans to transition these funds into a new basic security system. He predicted concrete proposals would emerge “in 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 combat abuse within the system.