Ready to pay more taxes
Majority wants more commitment against child poverty
07/06/2023, 06:18 p.m
Child poverty is a delayed issue. This emerges from the new children’s report. According to this, a majority thinks that too little is being done in Germany to ensure that children do not grow up in poverty. The survey should help Family Minister Paus in the fight for basic child security.
In the dispute over the financing of the planned basic child security, Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus sees herself confirmed by a survey. 72 percent of adults and 61 percent of children and young people in Germany find that “rather little” or “very little” is being done to combat child poverty in Germany. Accordingly, the majority of adults would even be willing to pay more taxes in order to effectively combat child poverty.
The results are part of “Children Reports 2023” of the German Children’s Fund, which was presented in Berlin. This throws a spotlight on one of the most pressing problems in society, said Paus. Every fifth child in Germany grows up in poverty. According to the usual definition, people in Germany who have less than 60 percent of the median income of the total population are considered poor or at risk of poverty.
Against the background of the survey results, the children’s charity reiterated the demand it had made with other associations for years for the introduction of basic child security, which has been the subject of controversial discussion in the traffic light coalition for months. There is a clear mandate for politicians to finally take effective and comprehensive measures against child poverty in Germany.
Paus said at a joint press conference with the children’s charity in Berlin that its children’s report would give momentum to basic child security. The traffic light had already agreed in its coalition agreement that it should come. However, the family minister disagrees with finance minister Christian Lindner, who is putting the brakes on state spending.
Significantly less than required
For the year 2025, when basic child security is to start, only two billion euros are currently earmarked. Paus had demanded twelve billion a year. She pointed out that negotiations are currently ongoing and that a draft law for the project will be available at the end of August. Several state benefits for children are to be brought together in the basic child security system so that application and payment become less bureaucratic and more entitled persons can access the money to which they are entitled. The question of whether benefits will also be increased is a contentious issue between the Greens and the FDP. That’s what the Greens are doing.
“It is correct, the basic child security will bring an improvement in performance,” said Paus. “And that’s why I’m confident that it will end up being more than two billion, but it’s also true, I don’t expect it to be twelve billion.” According to the report, the majority of adults would be willing to pay more taxes if this could effectively combat child poverty. Willingness has decreased slightly over the years. 66 percent said “yes” to this in 2014, 64 percent in 2018 and 62 percent in the current survey. The president of the children’s charity, Thomas Krüger, nevertheless spoke of an encouraging signal. “The willingness to show solidarity among the population is currently being massively underestimated by politicians.”
The child and youth policy spokeswoman for the left-wing faction in the Bundestag, Heidi Reichinnek, said: “I very much hope that these figures will be noticed in the traffic light cabinet and that Finance Minister Lindner will finally give up his blockade.” The basic child security system can only live up to its name and effectively protect children from poverty with significant increases in benefits.