German Court Ruled that all EU Citizens Should Receive Social Welfare Benefits

Citizens of EU Member States who live or seek employment in Germany can not permanently be excluded from the social assistance system. This was ruled by the German court about social affairs. Reports Mediapool. 

Thus, the magistrates confirm a December 2015 decision, according to which every EU citizen, even without work, is entitled to social benefits for 6 months. According to the German constitution, authorities must ensure that everyone, including foreigners, has a living minimum if they live for a long time in the country. This judgment has alarmed the municipalities that fund social welfare in Germany. They fear that this will attract EU citizens from countries with a lower standard of living, such as Romania and Bulgaria.

Germany accepts the largest number of EU citizens. Fearing that the social assistance system will not survive, Berlin decided to harden the access conditions for these citizens. Thus, by the end of 2016, Germany has adopted a series of measures that provide that people who live in the country but do not work should not be entitled to social benefits until they reach a legal status in Germany for five years.

People affected by this measure have the right to request temporary assistance for a maximum of 1 month until their departure. The court's decision is on the case of a Polish woman and a Bulgarian woman. It confirms a decision in December 2015, which defines the total deprivation of social benefits of EU citizens as unconstitutional.

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