After criticism from the opposition: child benefit is also increased for the third child

In the third relief package, the traffic light coalition agreed that there should be 18 euros more child benefit per month - but only for the first and second child.

After criticism from the opposition: child benefit is also increased for the third child

In the third relief package, the traffic light coalition agreed that there should be 18 euros more child benefit per month - but only for the first and second child. This is incomprehensible to the opposition. They criticize that families with many children are disadvantaged. Now the government is improving.

After criticism of the planned increase in child benefit only for the first and second child, the traffic light government is adjusting. The benefit should also be increased for the third child, as Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus confirmed when asked. "The child benefit for the third child will be equal, i.e. increased to the same level as the child benefit for the first two children," said the Greens politician. "That means that there will be 237 euros per month for the first, second and third child."

As part of the third relief package agreed at the weekend, the coalition had agreed to raise child benefit for the first and second child by 18 euros per month as of January 1st. Today it is 219 euros each for the first and second child. There is 225 euros for the third child and 250 euros for the fourth and each additional child.

Union politicians had criticized the original plans for the traffic light. Unfortunately, families with several children went away empty-handed, said the family policy spokeswoman for the Union faction, Silvia Breher from the CDU, on Tuesday. The federal government is forgetting families with many children, said Bavaria's family minister, Ulrike Scharf of the CSU.

There is also criticism of the child allowance, which is paid in addition to child benefit. The Child Protection Association considers the planned increase for low-income families to be insufficient. The increase in the subsidy by 21 euros a month "disappoints me," said club president Heinz Hilgers to the editorial network Germany.

The low-income recipients of this surcharge spend a large part of their income on food, says Hilgers. The inflation rate for these products is not around seven percent, but twice as high.