A politician from eastern Germany is demanding the introduction of mandatory community service for recipients of social welfare payments in Germany.
Ulli Schäfer (Christian Democratic Union, CDU), chief administrator of Greiz, a district with 94,000 inhabitants in the State of Thuringia, said the federal government should require welfare recipients to work as part of a larger reform package.
The ruling coalition of CDU and Social Democratic Party (SPD) is mulling a reform of the costly Bürgergeld (“citizen’s stipend”) welfare scheme – which is set to cost Germany €43 billion in 2025.
Schäfer said his administration was preparing a letter to Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Bärbel Bas (SPD). He added that his own district had had very positive experiences with mandatory community service for asylum seekers and that he would suggest expanding this model to welfare recipients throughout Germany.
“We have had very good experiences with compulsory work. My wish is to extend compulsory work to recipients of Bürgergeld as the next step – regardless of whether they are German or foreign nationals. To this end, legislators must create the necessary conditions, and do so quickly,” Schäfer told German magazine Focus on September 1.
He remained, though, cautious about the success of his initiative. “I fear that working groups and commissions at federal level are a playground for sceptics and that urgently needed reforms are being put on the back burner. We cannot afford that in Germany.”
Schäfer announced his demand on the occasion of the one-year-anniversary of the introduction of mandatory community service in his district.
Greiz had introduced compulsory work for asylum seekers in September 2024. The participants work for public, communal or non-profit employers and receive a “salary” of €0.80 per hour.
In November 2024, Schäfer announced that all asylum seekers who were capable of working were being put to use in community service.
“I am particularly pleased about the many positive responses from the public, from those responsible for implementing the measures, and also from asylum seekers,” he said at the time.
As evidence of the scheme’s success, Schäfer said 64 asylum seekers had found regular employment through the community service programme.
“This shows that compulsory work opportunities for asylum seekers not only provide short-term employment, but also have a lasting effect,” he added.
