From punk to the social welfare recipient: Grandpa fights for survival!

From punk to the social welfare recipient: Grandpa fights for survival!

The RTL2 social report "Hartz Rot Gold" illuminates fate of people who live in focal areas in its current episode. The episode broadcast on March 20 shows the life of a group of punkers who live in a municipality on the edge of Berlin in the forest. A central fate in this episode is that of the 51-year-old "grandpa", whose application for disability pension was rejected. This meant that he no longer received any money from the office.

his buddy Paddy (39) supported him in the financial emergency. Together they applied for social assistance after rejection of the pension. After weeks of waiting, “Grandpa” finally reached the positive news from the job center: his social assistance was approved. These services are now an important financial support for him and Paddy, since "Grandpa" does not have its own bank account. The paid funds are transferred to Berlin's homeless assistance by check, which the two friends then pick up.

social assistance as a support system

The situation of "grandpa" and Paddy illustrates how important social assistance is as a "sanctuary" of poverty and social exclusion. As the Federal Government , people can get into need through different circumstances, such as job loss or chronic diseases. Social assistance ensures a decent subsistence level and enables participation in social life. According to the twelfth book Social Code (SGB XII), people who are not able to work are entitled to social assistance if they can work less than three hours a day.

Social assistance includes various benefits: from helping to livelihood to basic security in old age and in the event of a reduction in earning capacity to help for health and care. The basic security is primarily intended for people who cannot make a living themselves and do not receive sufficient performance from other systems.

The role of the job center

The job center plays a central role in the granting of social benefits. It determines the need and forwards the monthly payments to authorized persons. This is particularly important for employable people who are dependent on financial assistance due to inadequate income. In the reimbursement of reports it becomes clear that services such as the new citizens' benefit have been replacing unemployment benefit II (Hartz IV) since January 2023 in order to help those in need and enable a dignified life.

In the episode of "Hartz Rot Gold", it remains unclear whether the guaranteed social assistance for "grandpa" will remain permanent or whether further hurdles will be available in the future. The whereabouts in such a support system represents great uncertainty for both "grandpa" and other affected people, even if the current permit ensures relief.

Overall, the reportage urgently shows how people are dependent on support in difficult situations and emphasizes the importance of social assistance as part of the social security system in Germany. According to bmas it is the goal to enable life that corresponds to the dignity of man and to promote social participation.