More than eight in ten eligible children and teenagers receiving basic income support (Grundsicherung) in Germany are not claiming the monthly participation benefit of 15 euros. This is shown by calculations published on Monday by the Bertelsmann Stiftung in Gütersloh. According to the findings, only around 18 percent of six- to under-15-year-olds take up the state benefit, while among 15- to under-18-year-olds the figure is just 12 percent.
Among young people receiving social welfare (Sozialhilfe) or falling under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act, uptake is even lower, according to the findings. For children from families receiving housing benefit (Wohngeld) or the child supplement (Kinderzuschlag), it is not even known how many of them receive the benefits, due to a lack of data.
Since 2011, the state has used the Education and Participation Package to support children and young people from low-income families. Under the scheme, participation in social and cultural life, such as membership in a sports club or music school, is subsidized with 15 euros a month. School supplies are also subsidized, with 130 euros for the first half of the school year and 65 euros for the second.
According to the Bertelsmann Stiftung, 78 percent of six- to under-15-year-olds receiving basic income support receive the annual school supplies allowance of 195 euros. This means one in five children receives no support for notebooks, pens or other learning materials, the Bertelsmann Stiftung criticized. The free communal lunch is used by only 37 percent, according to the findings.
The Bertelsmann Stiftung called for fundamentally simplifying access to the Education and Participation Package. "Benefits should be paid out without additional applications wherever possible, responsibilities should be bundled, and existing information should be used digitally between authorities." It also said a reliable data basis on those entitled to the benefits and on their actual use was needed.
"Participation is not an extra, but an important prerequisite for education, belonging and a good upbringing," emphasized Antje Funcke, family policy expert at the Bertelsmann Stiftung. Different approval and application procedures, complex forms and extensive documentation requirements make it difficult for parents to apply for the benefits. "Politicians should therefore not only remove the bureaucratic hurdles, but also finally make transparent which children are being reached and which are not."
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