VdK calls for poverty reduction program

VdK calls for poverty reduction program
Social Union VdK sees its position confirmed by UN analysis

06/07/2011

"Poverty reduction must be high on the political agenda," demanded VdK President Ulrike Mascher on the occasion of a recently published analysis by the United Nations on the social situation in Germany. "The UN confirms the position of the VdK Social Union that the federal government must finally launch a comprehensive poverty reduction program." A first step would be to set up federal and state poverty ministers to coordinate social, labor market, health and education policies on poverty reduction.

The UN analysis refers to figures from the year 2008. Therefore, VdK President Ulrike Mascher described it as "particularly appalling" that since then "hardly anything has changed in the field of child poverty". The participation of poor children has hardly improved. "The education package of the Federal Government runs largely into the void," said Mascher, "it would be much more effective to use these funds where children are cared for day after day: in schools, kindergartens and kindergartens, for example, for lunch, music lessons and tutoring." Here, a non-discriminatory treatment could also be realized much better, by going to the office felt many poor families stigmatized.

The high number of so-called Hartz IV "Aufstocker" - the UN report assumes 1.3 million people whose income is inadequate despite work - Mascher described as "a sign of a failed labor market policy, too strong on low pay and forms of employment such as temporary work puts". In this context, she pointed to the danger of growing old-age poverty: "Anyone who has to move to Hartz IV today despite work will not be able to live on his pension." It can already be seen that the number of people receiving basic social security benefits is growing significantly: Between 2003 and 2009, there was an increase of 55 percent. "This development runs parallel to the increasing depreciation of pensions," explained Mascher. Retirees have been deprived of general wage developments for years due to the pension cut-off factors, and they are also not benefiting from the current upturn: "This year's 0.99 percent low pension increase is more than offset by 2.3 percent inflation." Mascher warned: "The gap between rich and poor must not continue to grow, which endangers social peace." (Michael Pausder)