German Labor Minister Bärbel Bas to Prioritize Families in Upcoming Reform
German Labor Minister Bärbel Bas has emphasized the importance of considering the needs of families in the upcoming reform of the country’s social welfare system. In an interview with the German magazine “Stern” Bas stated that for her, a red line is drawn at households with children, adding that it is not possible to simply sanction them to zero, as some might have imagined.
At the same time, Bas expressed a desire to implement faster and more severe sanctions in the Bürgergeld system, which provides financial assistance to those in need. According to the minister, it should be easier for job center employees to impose sanctions and they should be able to do so more quickly, with more severe measures in place when necessary.
Bas emphasized that everyone receiving benefits has a duty to cooperate and those who fail to meet their obligations, such as missing job center appointments without a valid reason, should be subject to swift and clear sanctions. The labor minister believes that this approach is fair to those who make an effort to comply with the requirements.
The coalition partners, the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party, share the goal of further developing and refining the social security system, the Grundsicherung. When asked about the Union’s proposal to abolish the Bürgergeld in its current form, Bas responded that she cannot abolish the financial assistance provided to those without a job, as that is the very essence of the Bürgergeld. Bas will not abolish the Grundsicherung, as that is not feasible and the term “Bürgergeld” can be replaced, as the name is not the most important aspect.