Posted on 03/25/2022 6:48:46 AM PDT by blam
A woman adjusts the thermostat on her radiator. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Marcus Brandt
After a meeting late on Wednesday evening, the German government managed to agree on a package of relief measures for households struggling with energy costs, including cut-price transport tickets and a one-off energy allowance.
The new measures, which include a one-off €300 energy allowance for workers, should offer quick and unbureaucratic relief for low- and middle-income earners, the government said on Thursday.
When the allowance comes in, all employed persons liable to income tax will be paid a one-time flat-rate energy allowance of €300 as a supplement to their salary.
In their original proposals, the SPD had envisioned this money being paid out via the 2023 tax return, which would have the disadvantage of not reaching consumers’ pockets for another two years.
But the government may be working on a quicker way to release the money to struggling households.
This allowance is in addition to a €200 lump sum that’s set to be paid to people receiving social welfare payments such as housing benefit and Hartz IV.
Aside from the allowance, the traffic-light coalition is also planning a tax cut on fuel for drivers, improved energy efficiency measures and more relief measures for middle- and low-income families.
It will also introduce the SPD’s plans for a ‘child bonus’ on €100 per child, similar to the one introduced during the height of the Covid crisis.
Couple of striking developments in 🇩🇪 energy policy today:
1. The coalition has just announced a pretty chunky household relief package including
– €300 income tax rebate for every resident
– 90 days of unlimited public transport for €9/month
– €100 per child for families /1
— Oliver Moody (@olivernmoody) March 24, 2022
Public transport ticket
There are also plans to slash prices on public transport with a 90-day ticket for just €9 in an attempt to encourage financially burdened car drivers to switch to greener transport options.
“Taking the bus and train will probably never have been cheaper in Germany,” said Green party co-leader Ricarda Lang.
The traffic-light coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP had met at 9pm on Wednesday to thrash out a package of measures that each of the parties would be happy with.
Many of the measures were hotly debated within the cabinet.
One of the most controversial plans – a proposal for a petrol rebate put forward by Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FPD) – didn’t make it into the finalised package.
Announcing the measures on Thursday morning, the coalition promised that the “middle” of society would be relieved efficiently and in a socially just manner.
FDP leader Christian Lindner said the agreement of the coalition leaders was proof of the government’s ability to take decisive action.
“The coalition is convinced that we have to protect the people and the economy in the face of these enormous price increases in the short term and for a limited period of time,” he said.
The coalition had agreed on a first relief package in February before the outbreak of the Ukraine war.
Among other things, it provided for the abolition of the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) surcharge, worth billions, on electricity bills from July.
Previously, this was planned for the beginning of 2023. The package also included an increase in the commuter allowance for long-distance commuters.
Printing money to pay for inflation caused by money printing.
‘Cause it worked out so well in 1922-23
As here, a glaring admission of egregious policy failure by their leaders.
This is weird, it’s as if all the world’s governments are doing this in tandem-—again. Weird.... /S
Cutting the tax on gas never occurs to these clowns. People might realize how much of what they have to put in their car every week has nothing to do with gas.
Why don’t they just give it directly to Russia to fund their war with Ukraine?
Exactly. Pay offs to ease the repercussions of their idiocy. It is always about that stupid ideology. They will never learn.
I want!!!
Trump wanted them to transition to America as a source 3 years ago, and nothing.
Sorry. Can’t get too upset if the Germans are suffering from green lunacy.
Biden admin wants to give people $100 a month (our fuel bills went from$400 a to $800 a fill up, a bit over, but liberals would jump for joy if their president gave them a measly $100 to cover their $400 a fill up loss because of high gas prices. They will, bow down and serve unquestionably then, and would,also,go,onmthe offensive agaisnt anyone mahatma questioned the logic of .osingm3/4 justnto,just to, a 1/4 “discount” or stipend
Keeping liberals happy seems pretty easy AND very lucrative. Double or triple what they are paying, and then give them a 25% discount, and they think you just handed them the world. Give them a phone that the gov can track, an they act as happy as though you had given them a new house.
Sheesh that got mangled
They will, bow down and serve unquestionably then, and they will also go on the offensive agaisnt anyone that dared questioned the logic of losing 3/4 just to get a 1/4 “discount” or stipend handed to them as thougn that were sufficient to make up for their losses due to inept governing by a faux president
It's a race to the bottom. Despite all the money printing the US does, Europe must be worse. I am not certain of that, but the US dollar has grown in strength over the Euro over the last year. I can only assume there is a race to the bottom.
Ach so. Das ist unser neues Volksgemeinschaft!
Ah... die gute alte zeit ist zurruck!
Ach so, this is our new “Volksgemeinschaft!
Ah, the good old times are back!’’
Cheaper public transport makes some sense. Sending people cash so they can buy more of the scarce resource thereby making the resource more scarce, does not make sense.
To be funded by a €1200 per person tax. (Can’t forget about administrative costs.)
They shut down all their atomic power plants and then bet the farm on natural gas and oil from Russia. Such unbelievable stupidity.
They will have to raise the gas tax to pay for the FREE handouts.
“They will never learn.”
Nor will we, it seems.
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