Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Ukrainian Family Wrongfully Draws Tens of Thousands of Euros in Benefits from Germany While Living at Home

A Ukrainian family drew forty thousand euros in support from Germany last year, despite living in their home country.
The local employment office disbursed roughly 3,200 euros per month to the family for citizen support, rent, and heating cost assistance. Despite the high demand for daycare spaces by locals, the four-member family quickly obtained accommodation and a daycare spot. This highlights a broader issue often faced by Germans in accessing sufficient daycare facilities, as noted by the V4NA international news agency.

When it became apparent that the conflict in their homeland was extending, the family returned to their home in Western Ukraine at the beginning of 2023. They came back to Schleswig-Holstein in the winter, pocketing money from German taxpayers during the time they spent at home. Their ruse was uncovered when the family's eldest child needed a school place upon their return in the winter.

The Federal Employment Agency confirmed to Focus magazine that exploiting the welfare system in such a manner is indeed possible. Although Ukrainian refugees are legally equivalent to German citizens regarding these matters, the checks and balances in place do not fully apply.

Legally, one can only receive such citizen assistance if their assets do not exceed forty thousand euros. While this is relatively straightforward to verify for German citizens, Ukrainians are subject to a self-reporting system. Authorities only have the information that Ukrainians disclose, explained Steffi Ebert, head of the employment center in Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Thuringia, to Focus.

However, for the Western Ukrainian family's case, it wasn't so much the lack of asset checking that led to unnecessary payments. Instead, there was a lack of communication between state institutions. The employment office was not aware that the boy was no longer attending daycare.

Such controls are not exceptional, as authorities routinely conduct them. However, since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the influx of people into Germany has been so substantial that offices and authorities are often overwhelmed resulting in individuals exploiting the system to receive considerable sums of money which, in reality, are taken from the pockets of German taxpayers.

As of November, approximately 700,000 Ukrainian refugees received citizen assistance in Germany, with the majority unemployed. At that time, about 19 percent of the Ukrainians had found employment.

The situation is "disconcerting," stated Matthias Jendricke, the district administrator of Nordhausen in Thuringia.

The Social Democrat politician thought it would be easier to integrate Ukrainians into the job market than other refugees.

In the weeks following the Russian attack, he even arranged for buses from Berlin to his county, urgently needing labor.

However, "things went completely in the wrong direction," as only a fraction of the refugees wanted to engage in the world of work.

Joachim Walter, a Christian Democratic politician and district administrator in Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, shares a similar view.

"The willingness of Ukrainian refugees to enter into employment has significantly decreased because of the assistance they receive," Walter stated.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Zelenskyy Urges for 'Robust Security Assurances' from Russia to Conclude the War in Ukraine
Austrian Coalition Talks Encounter Setbacks Amid Far-Right Push for Power
Von der Leyen Indicates 'Unprecedented' Action to Enhance EU Defense Expenditure.
European Union Proposes Reforms to 1951 Refugee Convention
China's Humanoid Robots Poised to Transform Everyday Life and Spiritual Functions
Putin Resurrects Soviet-Era Intervision Song Contest with Fresh Allies
Ten Killed in Mass Shooting at Örebro Adult Education Center
China Retaliates with Tariffs and Investigations Following New U.S. Duties
Alice Weidel, the leader of the AfD, bolsters her international profile by meeting with Viktor Orban.
EU Leaders Convene to Address Defense Strategy in Light of Increasing U.S. Tensions
EU Leaders Convene Key Summit on Defense in Response to Increasing Tensions
Trump Directs Establishment of U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund, Considers TikTok Purchase
Britain Considers U.S. Gas Imports in Light of Potential Trump Tariffs
French Prime Minister Bayrou Confronts Several No-Confidence Votes Regarding the 2025 Budget
Trump Pursues Ukraine's Rare Earth Minerals in Exchange for U.S. Military Assistance
Trump Wins Again as Canada Agrees to Strengthen Border Security
Trump Seeks Rare Minerals from Ukraine in Exchange for U.S. Support
EU leaders concur on increasing defense expenditure in response to escalating security threats.
Nearly 96% of New Cars Registered in Norway in January Were Electric
Bart De Wever Appointed Belgium's New Prime Minister
Apple Abandons AR Glasses Project Amid Struggles with Technology and Market Demand
U.S. Clinical Trial Investigates Medication to Prolong Dogs' Lifespan
Berlin Protests Against Immigration Crackdown
Apple Surpasses Revenue and Earnings Expectations, But iPhone Sales Disappoint
Bill Gates Reflects on Past Mistakes and Acknowledges Yuval Noah Harari's Insight
TikTok Shapes the Future of Mobile Gaming with Viral Trends
Swedish Prime Minister Admits Loss of Control Over Surge in Violence and Explosions
Patriotism Misrepresented: Merz’s Migration Bill Defeat Exposes Ideological War Fueling Europe’s Instability
Trump Administration Advocates Ukrainian Elections to Promote the Democratic Process Needed to Oppose the War Zelenskiy Supports and Profits From
The Swift Impact: Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's Relationship Boosts Football's Global Appeal
New Zealand Grants Legal Personhood to Mount Taranaki
Global Semiconductor Industry Faces Persistent Challenges Amid Efforts to Boost Production
Trump Interest in Buying Greenland 'Not a Joke,' Says Marco Rubio
Karoline Leavitt: The Youngest and Probably the Sharpest White House Press Secretary
Germany Passes Motion to Tighten Migration Rules Amid Concerns Over Public Safety and Losing Germany’s Cultural Identity
This is the most important clip you’ll see today.
The 'Chinese Pearl Harbor' on U.S. Tech: DeepSeek's Launch Triggers Market Collapse
Germany’s Democracy Under Strain: Political Labeling Sparks Free Speech Concerns
The Trump Era 2: A Time of Dramatic and Profound Change
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Suggests Bitcoin Could Reach $700,000 with Increased Institutional Investment
Leaked Documents Reveal Google's Collaboration with Israeli Defense Forces During Gaza Conflict
Trump to Announce $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Investment
Olaf Scholz vs. Elon Musk: A Dispute Over Common Sense, Which Scholz is Deemed to Lack
EU’s Overregulation Drives Innovation Collapse and Brain Drain
Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán: Now it's our moment to shine! It's our opportunity to take over Brussels!
Trump Initiates U.S. Withdrawal from WHO, Citing Concerns Over Organizational Integrity
Trump Just Revoked Security Clearance for the 51 Intel Agents Who Lied About Hunter Biden's Laptop
Five Billionaires on Track to Break One Trillion Dollar Wealth Barrier
Bill Ackman Praises Social Media Platform X as 'The New Media'
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Proposes Rome as European Union Capital
×