In Mannheim, a citizen benefit recipient tried to return to work and encountered unexpected obstacles. As documented in the RTL Zwei report “Hartz und Herzen”, Pascal, 21, from Mannheim, recently started working as a newspaper deliveryman.
“I'm not going to keep doing this,” Pascal says after just one shift, “because it's totally exploitative!” Although it was clearly agreed that he was to deliver newspapers, he also had to deliver advertising.
“I'm going to announce on audio that I'm quitting,” Pascal says of his alleged dishonest employer. “Then I also hope that he is not angry with me. […] And if you can't stand it, so be it.”
The mother helped Pascal fold the newspapers.
However, thanks to his mother Pascal was able to complete his first and last shift. She intervened when she saw how many newspapers were being delivered to her son.
“There were so many things that Pascal couldn't have done alone!” he says. He cut the ad, organized it, published it in the newspaper, and then handed it all over to Pascal.
The number of recipients of citizen benefits is increasing
According to Statista, around 3.97 million people currently receive citizen benefits in Germany. Last year, when citizens' money was introduced, there were around 40,000 fewer.
While citizens' money serves as security for many people in times of temporary hardship through no fault of their own, there has recently been a growing social debate about the correct amount. Only in January did experts explain why citizens' money in its current form is probably meaningless.
However, last year the statements of a Ukrainian father sparked a lively debate: although he himself receives citizenship benefits in Germany, he described his fellow Germans as “naive and childish”.