Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) anticipates that the planned introduction of application-free child benefits will provide significant relief to young families. Speaking to the newspapers of the Funke Media Group, Klingbeil stated that the goal is for child benefits to be dispensed without requiring a formal application in the future. This change, he emphasized, means more time for caring for the baby instead of dealing with tedious bureaucracy.
The SPD leader added that parents should be able to focus fully on their infant after birth, stressing that no parent should have to struggle with sleepless nights along with unnecessary paperwork.
The government’s bill is scheduled for its first debate in the German Bundestag this Friday. According to the federal government’s plans, child benefits will be automatically paid once the authorities possess all the necessary data. While the Family Fund will continue to verify the entitlement, Klingbeil explained that the required information will flow between the various agencies. “The state will use the data it already has” he commented.
The Finance Minister estimates that this system could eliminate around 300,000 initial applications every year. Klingbeil concluded that this transition will “save time, money, and nerves-on all sides”.
