Currently, couples can receive parental allowance for 14 months, with one partner – usually the father – required to take at least two months. Under plans by Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU), the maximum duration would only be reached if both parents stay home for seven months each.
Prien expects savings from this, as many fathers are unlikely to want to leave their jobs for seven months. The reform is part of savings targets set by Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD), who has asked all ministries to cut one percent of their budgets. According to RND, Prien must spend 500 million euros less overall to consolidate the federal budget.
Prien does not want to change other conditions: parental allowance remains at 65 percent of net income, at least 300 and at most 1,800 euros per month. The prerequisite is a taxable income below 175,000 euros. Coalition sources stressed that talks on savings contributions are still ongoing and individual measures could be discussed at the coalition committee on July 1.
The black-red coalition has agreed on a reform of parental allowance to cut costs. At the same time, the measure is also intended to contribute to gender equality, as coalition sources said.
Source: www.zeit.de
