Pierre, a documentary actor from Kerpen, North Rhine-Westphalia, had to stay afloat for a long time on the €420 Hartz IV. After the introduction of citizen money, the needy have received slightly more money from the state.
During the filming of the poverty report “Poor Germany – Stamp or Trouble”, the actor still received Hartz IV.. Pierre's case was re-aired on RTL2 after the introduction of citizen money.
At the age of 18, Pierre became a drug dealer
Some save their money, others literally throw it out the window – Pierre belongs to the second category. With the Hartz IV, the 35-year-old could barely stay afloat. “Usually it disappeared after two days,” Pierre says aloud West. He usually borrowed money from friends or parents to finance his lifestyle.
At the time of filming, he had just been released from prison. A 35-year-old man was behind bars for armed shoplifting. At 18, the now 35-year-old said he became a drug dealer mannheim24 writes. The father of one daughter spends about 600 euros a month on cigarettes and marijuana.
“Poor Germany” –Pierre stole up to 4,000 euros a month from the supermarket
If Pierre wanted a bottle of schnapps, he would be happy to help himself to it at the supermarket. He stole goods from supermarkets worth up to 4,000 euros per month.
“Sometimes I want to eat a nice steak and I just don't have the money. Or I want to drink a bottle of Coke and not Freeway Coke, but something good. Why should you give up all that crap just because you're a Hartz 4 recipient?” says the 35-year-old on “Armes Deutschland”.
In his own words, he is “overqualified” for the job.
According to him, he is “overqualified” and therefore does not want to work. “Why should I stand there for 1,000 euros? “I prefer not to go to work, and when I get up in the morning, I go for a walk in the forest and do whatever needs to be done,” says the 35-year-old.
“I have one foot in prison again,” admits Pierre in the RTL2 documentary. Although he started several training courses, he completed them all.