New law: Improvements in education and participation

In the Waldeck-Frankenberg district, about 6,600 people are currently dependent on state transfer payments. They belong to about 3,450 "communities in need" who receive unemployment benefit II. About 2,400 children and young people live in these families. In addition, there are about 2,300 children from low-income families whose parents receive benefits under SGB XII (social assistance, basic security), the Housing Benefit Act, the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act or a child supplement. These are the "benefits for education and participation in social and cultural life in the community", to which there has been a legal entitlement since 1 January 2011.

District Administrator Dr Reinhard Kubat and Head of the Department of Social Affairs Karl-Friedrich Frese point out that there have been significant improvements in this education and participation package since 1 August 2019. On this date, the Strong Families Act came into force, with which the Federal Government is implementing a targeted strengthening of families and their children. The redesign of the child supplement, a substantial increase in the amounts paid out and the abolition of personal contributions in the education and participation package are important cornerstones of the law, and the amounts have since been adjusted again.

The main changes are as follows:

• Increase of the school package (adequate equipment for school attendance) to 103 Euros at the beginning of the school year (August) and to 51.50 Euros at the beginning of the 2nd school semester (February),
• Increase of the amount for social and cultural participation to a flat rate of 15 euros per month of grant; the prerequisite is the incurrence of actual expenses for participation in sporting and cultural activities, in lessons in artistic subjects or in cultural education as well as free time,
• Learning support can be claimed immediately when it is needed and not only when the transfer is at risk and it is therefore too late in most cases,
• no own contribution for lunch and school transport.

"The Strong Families Act has brought noticeable financial relief for families entitled to benefits," explains District Administrator Dr Kubat. It has also made it easier for families and the institutions involved, such as schools, kindergartens and clubs, to receive benefits from the education and participation package, adds Frese, the head of the social affairs department. Families with low and medium incomes receive more financial support and ultimately child poverty is combated.

Families entitled to benefits as recipients of social assistance/basic income support, housing benefit, child supplement or payments under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act can submit applications for benefits for education and participation to the Waldeck-Frankenberg district. The contact persons at the Social Affairs Department of the district are Ms Vicky Sandner, Tel. 05631 954-217, vicky.sandner@lkwafkb.de, and Ms Anja Vogel, Tel 05631 954-206, anja.vogel@lkwafkb.de. They can also provide further information on the education and participation programme. They can also provide further information on the education and participation package.

Recipients of unemployment benefit II are the responsibility of the Job Centre, which recently sent a circular to all schools informing them about the possibility of assuming the costs for appropriate learning support for low-income families. The relevant information can be obtained by eligible persons from the school administrations.