Hartz IV : Are sanctions legal?

May be reduced Hartz IV–recipients, the performance, if you are in breach of statutory duty to cooperate? On this question the Federal constitutional court deliberates on Tuesday, with a ruling is not expected for several months. Plaintiff was an unemployed person from Erfurt, which had to get from the job centre for a job as a warehouse worker offered. He refused, because he wanted to work in sales, a voucher on a sort of trial-internship, he had forfeited. The job centre cut him, then the rule set initially to 30 percent and later to 60 percent. A decent subsistence minimum is no longer guaranteed in the case of such cuts, criticised the social court Gotha, prompting the Review by the Federal constitutional court.

Who receives Hartz IV, is obliged at the same time, to Overcome his need for assistance. Writing applications, job interviews, as a "reasonable" classified get a job, appointments with the job centre to comply with – all of that is part of it. A Work is not powerless, and threaten sanctions. In the worst case, the complete performance can be cancelled for three months, the job center can provide food vouchers.

2018 were imposed 900,000 in penalties

In the year of 2018 were imposed according to the preliminary statistics of the Federal employment Agency, more than 900,000 sanctions. In most cases, the unemployed had missed an appointment at the job centre (well-700.000), in consequence of the benefit is reduced by ten percent. A job, an apprenticeship or a labour market policy measure declined significantly less people here, there were almost 100,000 cases. The bottom line is only about three percent of the unemployed of sanctions, however, were affected, some of them multiple times.

debate on the Hartz-IV-sanctions, Why not use praise instead of punishment in the case of Hartz IV?

In the policy has been under discussion for some time about whether the sanctions for Hartz IV, is appropriate or excessive. The left party and the Green party would abolish them completely, some SPD left. Minister of labour, Hubertus Heil (SPD) defended, however, sanctions in principle, would mitigate the existing regulations but would like to. If it were up to him, there would be, in the future, for example, cuts the cost of rent or heating. Critics complain that the Affected by the complete reduction of the performance of debt threaten, or slipping into homelessness. In addition, work is no longer demanding that Minister healing, young adults to punish under the age of 25 sharper than the Older.