The Federal constitutional court : Hartz-IV-sanctions in court

There are stories like that of Christy Schwundeck, the dispute over Hartz IV-called basic security to its sharpness. The woman died in a Jobcenter in Frankfurt am Main after a conflict to your money by a shot to the police. Self-defense, resulted in the investigation, Schwundeck pulled a knife. On Wednesday erected crosses remind of activists in front of the doors of the Federal constitutional court to Schwundeck and other alleged victims have called for, but the too-rigid social system.

suicides, slipping into homelessness, and violence in job centers – such incidents are common, but they are also indications that something goes wrong in the welfare state of Germany? Inside the court, the new Chairman of the First Senate and a former long-standing CDU member of the Bundestag Stephan Harbarth opened the hearing to the socio-legal Hartz-IV-sanctions with words, the empathy to show: "We know that today, here, to be negotiated subject for many people in difficult life situations is very important. It affects their basic needs. We take this seriously.“

such A situation, it was also the social court has to submit the causes of Gotha, in the case of the Hartz-recipient in Karlsruhe. The man had a Job as a warehouse worker, but he refused it because he wanted to work in sales. To the penalty of the rule set decreased from 391 to 270 Euro. Then, when he had a "activation voucher" for a practical testing of lapse, dropped the rate to 150 euros.

these are the graded hardening, with which the legislature has its Maxim of "Promote and Challenge" in 2005, redeemed. The groundless refusal of a reasonable job is deemed to breach of duty and will be sanctioned with a 30 percent discount from the rule set. In the case of a similar violation within one year, 60 percent the third, there is no money, not even for Housing and Heating. The Bulk of the sanctions, however, concerns a different category, the so-called reporting failures when the job center to the date the store and the customer. Then shall be reduced in Ten percent increments. For recipients under 25 years of age, the penalties, especially little tolerance.

The measures are limited to three months. Who corrected his behavior, can only hope in the case of total deletion at the mercy of the. Instead of money, there can be benefits in kind, vouchers for food or hygiene products. The rule set level is not reached. Rent and Heating costs are settled directly with the job centre.

Mild

The Federal Minister of labour is to be noted that he heartedly defended the concept of half. recommended A Federal-Länder working group had recommended Clemency, not to be politically enforceable. "Regrettable," the Hubertus Heil (SPD), however, at the time of decision-making "for an activating labour market policy" he does not want to shake. "The successes can be seen," said healing with a view to under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) completion of the reforms. The social state must have means of reasonable cooperation. The successful, healing refers to the low rate of recipients with a current penalty of around three percent. That such Figures reflect the whole truth, doubt, however, the plaintiff lawyer in the Thuringian main proceedings, Susanne Böhme. Affected, without contradiction, could find no entrance. Many of the clerks met the needy in addition, with prejudice, and clarified the cases adequately. Psychological problems as reasons for the apathy were often overlooked.

The judges will deal Once again with the basic security, which operates officially as unemployed, money two. So far, the cases have been limited to rule set the height and the problems of need for communities. Now it could be fundamental, because the Gothaer judge Jens Petermann, the sat itself for the Left in the Bundestag, with its template, the previously unanswered question of whether the sanction system is tweaked, the basic right to a dignified minimum existence is undermined – or whether it, like other lawyers, or only to a limited extent, if an interested party jointly responsible for his plight. In a few months, the expected verdict is likely to seek a balance. A lifting of the sanctions would be surprising. Already in the previous social assistance it could give smears.

the future of ALG II, The height of the Hartz IV-remuneration is the Problem, not sanctions

The Senate Chairman Harbarth made it clear that it is not a question of whether the chosen instruments are "politically useful". To decide this, is a matter for the legislature, one of the Harbarth self recently. This is probably why Ex-politicians are cautious. A judgment could carry the discussion of whether or not the level of trust in the policy-the most significant court suffers when politicians can continue their careers seamlessly.