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LIVING IN GERMANY

Everything that changes in Germany in August 2019

Several changes are coming to Germany as July becomes August on Thursday, with a large number affecting students, parents and consumers.

Published: 31 July 2019 17:27 CEST
Everything that changes in Germany in August 2019
Inside a clock shop in Dresden. Photo: DPA

More language and integration courses

Language and integration courses are now also open to asylum seekers who are not yet sure if they will stay in Germany for the long term – but only if they entered the country before August 1st, 2019. In addition, the language courses will also be open to other foreigners who were previously excluded from them.

More school support for low-income children

Children from low-income families will receive more financial benefits starting on August 1st, thanks to the new “Strong Family Law”. It will apply to parents who earn less than €2,000 brutto (before tax).

Among the changes, parents will no longer have to pay their own share for school lunches or for transport to school. The “school start package” (Schulstarterpaket) which they receive for new books and supplies will also be increased from €100 to €150. In addition, children in need of tutoring will receive additional financial support.

The law, for which Germany’s Cabinet is setting aside €1.5 billion in the next three years, will affect the four million children in Germany who live in “financially difficult situations,” writes the Berliner Morgenpost. 

Some Kita parents freed from fees

A teacher reading to students at a Kita in Dresden. Photo: DPA

As of August 1st, not only parents who receive social benefits are exempt from daycare fees, as was previously the case. Under a new “Good Kita Law”, anyone who receives a child allowance (Kindergeld) or housing allowance (Wohngeld) may also send their children to care free of charge. 

According to the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, 1.2 million children can benefit from daycare time that will not cost their parents anything.

SEE ALSO: Explained: How each German state plans to improve child care and lower Kita costs for families

More financial support for students

Through Germany’s BAföG (Federal Law for Support in Education), high school students and university students who no longer live at home will receive up to €861 per month to assist with their students and living costs, up from a previous maximum of €735. For living costs alone, the students can receive up to €325 , up from the previous amount of €250. 

The Azubi advantage

Not only school students, but also those doing their training, or Ausbildung, qualify for grants from Germany’s Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Job Centre) if they live outside their parents’ home. 

The maximum amount for the Auszubildende, or Azubis as they are commonly called in German, will be increasing from €622 to €716 monthly, and is slated to increase by an additional seven euros in 2020.

A significant price slash to student transport tickets

Students are among the many commuters who regularly use Berlin's public transport. Photo: DPA

Starting on August 1st, several German states such as Hamburg will begin offering a so-called Azubi ticket, in which students in the midst of their Ausbildung can ride public transport for a subsidized cost.

North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony and Berlin already offer such a ticket – and at the start of the month, Berlin is taking it a step further and letting all students ride the bus and Bahn (U-Bahn and S-Bahn) completely free within the AB zone.

Bundeswehr boost

Germany’s armed forces, or Bundeswehr, will be seeing a big change come August 1st when the “Act to Sustainably Strengthen Operational Readiness” enters into force. The aim is to make it easier for regular soldiers to enter civilian working life by promoting internships and career counselling. In addition, relatives of soldiers injured during deployment will be able to receive therapy free-of-charge.

SEE ALSO: More women soldiers and less equipment: A look at Germany's army in numbers

A more digitalized DHL

Customers of German postal service DHL will see the pick-up procedure change come August 9th. From this date, the so-called mTan numbers will no longer be sent by SMS, but rather through the DHL package app. The numbers are required, along with a customer card, to open the compartments with the parcels. 

SEE ALSO: DHL to offer customers in Germany 'exact' package delivery times

Renting electric scooters for the long(er) haul

E-scooters are becoming increasingly popular in Germany. Photo: DPA

Starting August 1st, Otto Now will join the ranks of German companies offering e-scooter rentals nationwide – with a monthly rental price.

The monthly fee marks an alternative to the usual  e-scooter rental system, in which the scooters are “unlocked” on the street to be used only for a specific amount of time – with the renter billed per minute through an app. These e-scooters will remain with the user for a monthly rent of €39, including insurance. 

The vehicles are set to have a limit of 40 kilometres and the battery can be recharged in a maximum of six hours. 

SEE ALSO: Improve cycling infrastructure: Can Germany cope with electric scooters?

Calling all German football fans

The new Bundesliga season starts on August 16th, and there will be new, albeit more expensive, streaming options that come with it. Games that were previously streamed on the network Eurosport will now be taken over by DAZN, and at a higher cost depending on the type of subscription. Most Bundesliga games, however, will continue to be streamed by the online network Sky. 

This change stinks for some

Starting on August 23rd, several scents will no longer be allowed in perfumes if they are deemed to cause allergies. This list of chemicals, applicable to all EU countries, is available in English here.

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LIVING IN GERMANY

Living in Germany: Battles over Bürgergeld, rolling the ‘die’ and carnival lingo

From the push to reform long-term unemployment benefits to the lingo you need to know as Carnival season kicks off, we look at the highlights of life in Germany.

Published: 14 November 2022 09:54 CET
Living in Germany: Battles over Bürgergeld, rolling the 'die' and carnival lingo

Deadlock looms as debates over Bürgergeld heat up 

Following a vote in the Bundestag on Thursday, the government’s planned reforms to long-term unemployment benefits are one step closer to becoming reality. Replacing the controversial Hartz IV system, Bürgergeld (or Citizens’ Allowance) is intended to be a fair bit easier on claimants.

Not only will the monthly payment be raised from €449 to €502, but jobseekers will also be given a grace period of two years before checks are carried out on the size of their apartment or savings of up to €60,000. The system will also move away from sanctions with a so-called “trust period” of six months, during which benefits won’t be docked at all – except in very extreme circumstances. 

Speaking in parliament, Labour Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) said the spirit of the new system was “solidarity, trust and encouragement” and praised the fact that Bürgergeld would help people get back into the job market with funding for training and education. But not everyone is happy about the changes. In particular, politicians from the opposition CDU/CSU parties have responded with outrage at the move away from sanctions.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz has even branded the system a step towards “unconditional Basic Income” and argued that nobody will be incentivised to return to work. 

The CDU and CSU are now threatening to block the Bürgergeld legislation when it’s put to a vote in the Bundesrat on Monday. With the conservatives controlling most of the federal states – and thus most of the seats in the upper house – things could get interesting. Be sure to keep an eye out for our coverage in the coming weeks to see how the saga unfolds. 

Tweet of the week

When you first start learning German, picking the right article to use can truly be a roll of the “die” – so we’re entirely on board with this slightly unconventional way to decide whether you’re in a “der”, “die”, or “das” situation. (Warning: this may not improve your German.) 

Where is this?

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Boris Roessler

Residents of Frankfurt am Main and the surrounding area will no doubt recognise this as the charming town of Kronberg, which is nestled at the foot of the Taunus mountains.

This atmospheric scene was snapped on Friday morning, when a drop in temperatures saw Kronberg and surrounding forests shrouded in autumnal fog.

After a decidedly warm start to November, the mercury is expected to drop into single digits over the weekend. 

Did you know?

November 11th marked the start of carnival season in Germany. But did you know that there’s a whole set of lingo to go along with the tradition? And it all depends on where you are. First of all, the celebration isn’t called the same thing everywhere. In the Rhineland, it’s usually called Karneval, while people in Bavaria or Saxony tend to call it Fasching. Those in Hesse and Saarland usually call it Fastnacht. 

And depending on where you are, there are different things to shout. The ‘fools call’ you’ll hear in Cologne is “Alaaf!” If you move away from Cologne, you’ll hear “Helau!” This is the traditional cry in the carnival strongholds of Düsseldorf and Mainz, as well as in some other German cities.

In the Swabian-Alemannic language region in the southwest of the country, people yell “Narri-Narro”, which means “I’m a fool, you’re a fool”. In Saarland at the French border, they shout “Alleh hopp!”, which is said to originate from the French language. 

Lastly, if someone offers you a Fastnachtskrapfe, say yes because it’s a jelly-filled carnival donut. And if you’re offered a Bützchen? It’s your call, but know that it’s a little kiss given to strangers!

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