The refrigerator of a Hartz 4 recipient is broken. The job center refuses her a loan – and makes a questionable proposal. Now there is a solution.
Kassel – A Hartz IV recipient in the Ruhr area had a problem: her refrigerator was broken. She therefore applied for an interest-free loan in order to be able to replace the device. The job center refused. Instead of money, the woman also received questionable advice: she should store her groceries on the balcony. Helena Steinhaus from the Sanctions-Free Association made the case public on Twitter on January 25, 2022.
The job center rejected the Hartz IV recipient’s application on the grounds that the prerequisites for a loan approval were not met in her case. “No unavoidable need” would be met or the need could also be achieved in other ways, RTL quoted from the job center’s letter of rejection. The Hartz IV recipient should save money for a new refrigerator. The groceries could be temporarily stored on the balcony “due to the weather conditions”.
Hartz IV recipient should store groceries on the balcony: “Legally unacceptable”
The rejection of the application was “legally unacceptable,” explained attorney Nicole Mutschke to RTL. However, the job center is right on one point: part of the unemployment benefit should be saved each month. Due to the low Hartz IV rate, however, this is difficult.
However, Helena Steinhaus was able to report a success on Wednesday (02/02/2022). The job center apologized to those affected and announced that the woman would get a new clerk, Steinhaus wrote on Twitter. In a statement published by Steinhaus on Twitter, the job center emphasized that “this is the individual misconduct of a single employee and in no way corresponds to practice in the job center.” The woman was paid 50 euros as a replacement for spoiled food, the job center reported.
Hartz IV: Job Center wants to review instructions to employees
According to the statement to Helena Steinhaus, the job center also wants to review instructions to clerks. A refrigerator is fundamentally part of the necessary initial equipment in an apartment and is financed by a subsidy. A defect, however, is a replacement purchase, according to the job center statement shared by Steinhaus. According to the current legal situation, this must be financed by a loan.
Helena Steinhaus rated the insight of the job center, which initially advised the Hartz IV recipient to store their groceries on the balcony, as good on Twitter. However, she warned that “the dark room of such ‘mistakes’ is invaluable and the ‘customers’ always have the shortest leverage.” As long as Hartz IV has not been overcome, we must expect such abuse of power, wrote the founder of the Sanctions-free association Helps people affected by Hartz IV sanctions.
Broken refrigerator from Hartz 4 recipient: “Devices must be taken over”
It is generally utopian to have to save such loans from the standard rate. “Devices must be taken over, even if they are replacement devices!” Helena Steinhaus addressed her request to the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs headed by Hubertus Heil (SPD).
The traffic light coalition is already planning changes: the politicians want to put an end to Hartz IV and introduce citizen income*. (ms) *hna.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
