Low income: This is how families in Baden-Württemberg are under pressure!

Low income: This is how families in Baden-Württemberg are under pressure!

In recent months, financial insecurity has increased for many families in Germany. A current Forsa survey commissioned by “Save the Children” shows that 25% of parents are worried that they will not be able to adequately provide for their basic needs such as housing, heating and food. Since the beginning of the year, this proportion has increased from 15% to 25%, indicating a worrying trend. The crisis in the automotive industry is having a particularly noticeable impact in Baden-Württemberg, which is also reflected in rising unemployment figures. This uncertainty is often interpreted as a fear of social decline, and many families do not know how to access the support services available.

In Germany there are a variety of support services for low-income families. This includes, among other things, the federal education package, which provides 195 euros per school year for school supplies. Free lunches in daycare centers and schools as well as the reimbursement of costs for one-day excursions are also part of the offer. Families who receive child allowance, housing benefit or citizen's benefit are entitled to the education package. Single parents in particular can benefit from a maintenance advance of 227 euros per month for small children up to the age of five if they do not receive maintenance.

Bureaucratic hurdles and lack of information

Despite these subsidies, many families do not take advantage of the services offered. The Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband criticizes the bureaucratic hurdles and calls for benefits to be paid out automatically without submitting an application. There are also fears that many families are not aware of the available offers or find the application process complicated and not very transparent. In Baden-Württemberg, the State Ministry of Social Affairs estimates the number of holders of a family pass, which allows free or reduced entry to leisure facilities, to be around 300,000.

A particularly alarming finding is the high number of financial support claims. According to reports, only 30% of families apply for the child allowance, although this can be up to 292 euros per child per month if the parents' income is not sufficient. Even when it comes to child benefit, the best-known social benefit in Germany, 70% of the money remains unused. This is not only encouraged by the fragmented nature of family benefits, but could also reflect a lack of information.

The situation of single parents

In Germany, around 2.5 million underage children live in families who are raised alone or separately by one parent. The support for these single parents is diverse, but often does not just include financial help. Tax advantages, such as the tax relief amount of 4,260 euros annually plus 240 euros per child from the second child onwards, contribute to economic stability. But single parents in particular are often more likely to live in poverty than other families. According to the Federal Government's Tenth Family Report, they are also more often confronted with health and psychosocial challenges.

Affected families and single parents can find support from social and youth welfare offices or advice centers such as Caritas and Diakonie. These provide information and support to help often desperate parents claim their benefits. However, poor information and stigma represent significant obstacles that need to be overcome.

In summary, it can be seen that there are numerous offers for families in Germany, but they often do not receive the attention they deserve. Improved communication and simplification of the application process would be important steps in providing affected families with the support they need. Because in times like these it is more important than ever that families receive the help they are entitled to.

For more information about financial support for families, you can visit the website daily news, ZDF and BMFSFJ visit.