People who receive citizen's benefit often have to struggle with prejudices. A 60-year-old wants to clear this up and shares his fate in “Hard but Fair”.
Munich – Thomas Wasilewski has been living on the subsistence level for 12 years. That wasn't always the case, because the 60-year-old had been working for 30 years and, after a stroke of fate, suddenly became a recipient of citizens' benefit. Now he is fighting against prejudices and politics that systematically stigmatize people like him.
Citizen's benefit recipient after a stroke of fate: "I will be poor until the end of my life"
In the
WDR
program “Hart aber fair” Wasilewski confronts the CDU politician Philipp Amthor with his experiences and the consequences of poverty. The 60-year-old reports how he became unemployed due to incapacity for work and has been dependent on citizens' benefit for 12 years. He worked for a total of 30 years and even supported the long-term unemployed and young people with professional integration at the employment office for 10 years.
He would never have thought it possible that he would ever find himself in a similar situation to his protégés. “I will be poor until the end of my life. I never thought that I would be dependent on transfer payments myself,” explains Wasilewski to the audience. He would like to see more empathy from politicians and clear up prejudices, because during his time at the employment center he didn't meet a single person who refused to work.
Falling into unemployment after the age of 60 seems hopeless for many people, but there are a few options left.
Only a small group of total objectors: “People are hungry because the citizens’ money is not enough”
The father of three is plagued by existential fears and reports on the consequences of poverty, which manifest themselves in insomnia, palpitations and mental illnesses. The 60-year-old has no understanding of the CDU's planned sanctions. “I can’t remember the last time I drank coffee out, I don’t do that, it’s an absolute luxury,” shares Wasilewski. In February, the unemployment rate in Bavaria rose more significantly compared to other federal states.
According to
WDR
, out of a total of 5.5 million people who receive citizen's benefit, only around 14,000 people are described as so-called “total refusers”. This small group resists reasonable work and rejects work and qualification measures.
Single recipients of citizens' benefit currently only live on 563 euros per month, according to information from the
Federal Office of Labor and Social Affairs.
But social benefits hardly seem to provide enough money to live on. “People are hungry because the citizens’ money is not enough,” emphasizes Wasilewski. The calculations by the
Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband
have shown that citizens would actually need 813 euros in order not to live in poverty.
If there is a change of government, the CDU plans to replace citizens' money with the "new basic security".
The CDU is planning drastic reforms to make it more difficult for people to access citizen's money. “In order to ensure the acceptance of the welfare state, it is necessary right now that we distribute social benefits in a targeted manner,” emphasizes CDU politician Philipp Amthor in the broadcast. Instead of citizens' money, the CDU would like to use the "new basic security" to ensure that social benefits can be canceled more quickly and less bureaucratically.
But it wouldn't work that easily. “The Federal Constitutional Court has said very clearly that people cannot be permanently reduced to zero and I think that is correct in a welfare state,” counters Green Party politician Ricarda Lang in the
WDR
article . According to her, people should be qualified efficiently in order to be integrated into the labor market in the long term.
(cg)