Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt of the CSU is gaining backing from the CDU for his proposal to reduce the basic rate of the Citizen’s Income (Bürgergeld).
Johannes Winkel, a labor market expert in the CDU/Union faction and head of the Young Union (JU), told the “Rheinische Post” that “we need an honest debate about the level of benefits.” Winkel agreed with Dobrindt, stating that the combination of the current Bürgergeld level, the assumption of rental and energy costs, and numerous free services is resulting in too low an incentive for people to seek employment.
In a previous discussion with “Focus” magazine, Dobrindt emphasized that the substantial increases to the basic rate during the last legislative period have led to significant cost escalations. He personally believes the basic rate is currently too high and should therefore be thoroughly reviewed.
