This is what the traffic light is planning for basic child security

Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) wants to design the basic child security planned for 2025 in such a way that the state actively informs families of their entitlements. “We see the state here as having a service obligation. All children should receive the services to which they are entitled," said Paus in an interview with WELT AM SONNTAG. The service must be brought proactively and “simply” to the families, Paus continued.

“In our country, children live below the subsistence level because their parents do not know that they are entitled to support or that the application process seems too complicated. That will change in the future.” Paus intends to present details very soon. "We've come a long way. We will present the key points at the beginning of the year.”

According to this, families should in future receive a guaranteed amount for each child. There is also an additional amount that depends on the income of the parents. The application for the benefit is to be processed online via a "child protection portal". To this end, Paus is planning a “basic child security check”. "Families whose income falls below a certain limit should be specifically addressed," said Paus. "For this we use - after consent - the income data available to the state to approach the families and inform them of additional claims." In this way, hidden poverty can be combated.

The Minister for Family Affairs complained that the fight against child poverty had not received enough attention so far. "Every fifth child in Germany grows up in poverty, in urban centers like Berlin almost every fourth child - with all the individual, but also social consequences. That hurts, we want to change that.”

Paus did not want to say how high the benefits will be. "We can't talk about numbers at the moment - if only because of the development of inflation. But it should be clear that basic child security will not be available for free. We want to combat poverty effectively.” A research consortium around the Institute for the Study of Labor was awarded the contract in December to carry out the calculations.

The concept presented by the Greens in 2020 had provided for a guaranteed amount of 290 euros and a maximum amount of 547 euros per child. According to calculations by the Ifo Institute, this could put a gross annual burden of between 27 and 34 billion euros on the federal budget. Paus did not want to comment on these numbers. At the latest when the budget for 2024 and the financial planning for 2025 are drawn up, the total sum will be on the table. “We are having good talks with all departments involved. I am pleased that my colleagues and the Federal Chancellor are behind this reform.”

In the coalition agreement, it was also agreed to examine the interaction of various social benefits with regard to their work incentives. “We have already improved the incentives to work with the basic income because more stays with the families when you take up employment. We will do the same with basic child security.”