Carsten Linnemann, the general secretary of the CDU, sees the planned replacement of the Bürgergeld by the new basic security in March as only a first step toward further reforms. “That’s not enough. More laws must follow” he told “Bild am Sonntag”.
In particular, Linnemann wants to overhaul the rules for additional work income to prevent abuse of the system. “There are people who work five to ten hours and top up their Bürgergeld. This creates a system where legal social benefits are taken advantage of. That must stop”. He proposes that income earned from a small number of working hours be fully counted against the Bürgergeld. Only those who work more should keep more of their earnings. Today, a person may keep the first 100 € of supplemental income, after which 80 % is deducted – a scheme that incentivises minimal work. “We must reverse that logic” he said.
At the same time, Linnemann rejected the SPD’s demand for new social contributions on rent and capital income. “This proposal shows that we think differently” he said. “The demand is wrong because two‑thirds of people privately plan for retirement, pay solidarity and capital gains tax on those savings, and thus plan for their pension. If we also tax capital gains, we strip away planning certainty and create political cynicism rather than trust”. Instead of new levies, he argues, policy should aim to bring social contributions back toward 40 % in the long term to maintain system stability.
