Erfurt (dpa/th) - At the Thuringian social summit with representatives of the state government, welfare organizations formulated a number of demands to combat poverty. The Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband called for a comprehensive state strategy to reduce the risk of poverty on Tuesday in the Erfurt state parliament. Access to family benefits must be easily available for all families.
The League of Free Welfare demanded that debtor and consumer insolvency advice centers should not cut corners. "Local people must be given a reliable contact point in such difficult situations," it said.
The state chairman of the social association VdK, Paul Weidmann, explained: "We are observing with great concern how difficult it is for many people to make a living, even in Thuringia." In the Free State, every fifth woman, every fourth child and every third younger person is considered to be at risk of poverty.
The risk of poverty is particularly high for people with disabilities. One of the reasons for this is that more than half of the companies in Thuringia would rather pay a compensatory levy than hire an applicant with a severe disability.
