According to the CDU, anyone who refuses to take a job should no longer receive citizen’s benefit. It is the core concern of a push to reform the welfare state. This is not only dangerous for those affected, but also for many working people.
Since its introduction, the CDU has railed against citizens’ money. It was therefore not surprising that she recently presented a plan with corresponding reforms. The suggestions are not really new. The CDU wants to drastically tighten sanctions measures. The project makes it clear that the Christian Democrats are primarily concerned with the employer side.
“Anyone who can work but doesn’t go to work will no longer receive any support in the future,” said CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann to the “Bild” newspaper when promoting the citizen’s benefit plans. According to this, recipients who refuse work, so-called total refusers, should no longer receive any money in the future, which is basically one of the core concerns. There is a lot of criticism from the Greens and the SPD. “The Union never comes up with anything other than attacks on the welfare state,” says SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil, referring to the Federal Constitutional Court’s guidelines for securing the minimum subsistence level.
The fact that Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil is also calling for a deletion for “total refusers” and that the corresponding draft law was already approved by the cabinet in January is at least interesting. However, the CDU is more radical. Unlike Heil, she is demanding a 100 percent cut for those affected, meaning money for rent and electricity would be lost. But the idea is not well thought out.
Only a few people affected
Apart from the fact that complete cancellation is not legally permissible, according to a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court Not even 60 percent, and the numbers don’t support such a drastic step. According to the Tagesschau, only around 13,800 people are said to have received a reduction in the first eleven months of 2023 due to refusing to take up or continue work, training, measures or a subsidized employment relationship. 5.5 million people were entitled to citizenship benefits in the same period. Converted, the proportion of refusers corresponds to 0.25 percent. But even without a calculator it can be said: These are very few. There are also many reasons for a refusal or a missed job center appointment. An example would be psychological problems. A helping hand would make more sense here, not a slap in the face.
The CDU apparently doesn’t care.
So that leaves the why. Why propose a measure that doesn’t affect many people? Perhaps to promote the chauvinistic image of the lazy unemployed. Why propose a measure that was already discussed months ago? Maybe because Heil’s initiative doesn’t go far enough for the Christian Democrats. And especially important: Why propose a measure that weakens the welfare state? Very likely to strengthen the employer side.
Because a strong welfare state enables employees, especially in poorly paid jobs, to stand up for themselves, demand higher wages – or less working hours with full wage compensation. But hardly anyone would think of complaining when not only is the social network in disrepair, but there is also the risk of being forced into an even worse job. Because part of the truth is that there is no correct definition for “reasonable” work, so it could have particularly undignified conditions. At the same time, however, these will not change if there is always a supply of vacancies in the relevant jobs thanks to inadequate social policy, as the CDU is striving for. Good for employers, bad for employees.