Even after weeks of wrangling by the traffic light coalition about basic child security, the discussion has not died down. The deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann confirmed the basic goal of the traffic light coalition to implement the project.
“The Federal Government has (…) agreed in the coalition agreement to introduce basic child security. This has been confirmed several times, and it will happen that way,” she said. We are now working on the specific design.
From 2025, according to the plan of the traffic light coalition, various state benefits from child benefit to child allowance and financial support for school trips are to be bundled into basic child security. The bundling and digitization should also reach more beneficiaries who have not previously applied for benefits.
Pressure on Lindner increases
The President of Diakonie Germany, Ulrich Lilie, appealed to Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) to approve the funds for basic child security: “Those who do not act now share responsibility for the fact that the educational biographies of children in Germany are developing more and more unfairly.” Children in poverty lack early support at home and uncomplicated and easily accessible help. A study by the Bertelsmann Foundation from January stated that almost 2.9 million children and young people – corresponding to a share of 20.8 percent – were at risk of poverty nationwide in 2021.
It seems undisputed within the government that the basic security should therefore come. “The basic child security should come and will come. It is a central socio-political project of the coalition,” said SPD Secretary General Kevin Kühnert in the RTL / ntv program “Frühstart”.
For weeks, however, the Greens and the FDP have been arguing about how much money the project should cost. Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) has announced a need of twelve billion euros because she also wants to increase benefits “to get more children out of poverty,” according to her argument. Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), on the other hand, sees little room for maneuver in the budget and refers to the significant increase in child benefit to 250 euros a month that has already taken place. When it comes to basic child security, the FDP is pushing above all for digitization and simplified application.
According to SPD faction leader Achim Post, given the cash situation, it is clear that prioritization must be made. Not everything will be financeable without cutbacks. But Post called for an open approach: “In the coming weeks and months we will have to examine where we can develop additional leeway. And I expect that we will do so in the coalition with pragmatism – and not rashly to all conceivable ones About saying no.”
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Finance said that negotiations on basic child security should now be awaited. “It’s also about communicating what is meant by that.”