German government approves plan to combat social benefit fraud — The Local Germany
The German federal government has approved a ten-point plan to combat organised fraud in the social benefits sector. The measures were developed by Labour Minister Bärbel Bas of the SPD and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt of the CSU.
As The Local Germany reports, the authorities plan to tighten checks on benefit applications, improve information exchange between government bodies and make it more difficult for criminal groups to profit from social benefits. Ministries and agencies are to begin implementing the measures so that they take effect by the end of the year.
Data exchange and benefit controls
The plan provides for broader data exchange between bodies responsible for social benefits, migration, taxes, security, healthcare and resident registration. The government also wants to use artificial intelligence-based analytical tools to identify suspicious patterns.
The authorities propose strengthening the liability of employers who use illegal labour or benefit from undeclared employment. The plan also provides for ending basic financial support for people wanted under an enforceable arrest warrant, including convicted persons who evade imprisonment.
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New rules for EU citizens
The government seeks to ensure that EU citizens can claim certain social benefits only after five years of lawful residence in Germany, rather than simply five years of stay. Transitional assistance for some EU citizens who are staying in the country illegally is also planned to be reduced.
A separate section concerns neglected housing, which German authorities link to fraud schemes. Municipalities are planned to receive broader powers to access and purchase such buildings. In extreme cases, owners may face expropriation for ignoring mandatory repair orders.
According to the government, attention will also be paid to combating organised networks, monitoring school attendance, cooperation with countries of origin and discussing possible changes to freedom of movement rules at the EU level. The German government states that the measures are aimed at abuse of the rules, not at freedom of movement itself.
The discussion centres on authorities' claims about networks that allegedly bring people from poorer EU countries, including Bulgaria and Romania, to Germany and use fictitious employment to obtain entitlement to benefits. Ministers stressed that many people involved in such schemes are themselves victims of exploitation.
