Fighting for the future: cuts threaten Berlin's social services!

Fighting for the future: cuts threaten Berlin's social services!

In Berlin, the last districts have decided on their budget plans, which reveals worrying financial gaps, particularly for Neukölln and Pankow. In Neukölln there is a shortfall of 20 million euros annually, while Pankow has a deficit of 17 million euros. The already inadequate offerings in both districts are at acute risk. “For us, the ability of the districts to act for local Berliners cannot be reduced,” explains the Left, while concerns about upcoming cuts are becoming ever louder.

The social and cultural services that many citizens use are heavily affected by additional needs that have not been financed for years. These cuts could result in important programs such as swim buses and school stations being eliminated starting in 2026. Various areas of social work, including homeless assistance and youth and family support, are also in trouble.

Alarming developments in social infrastructure

The situation is aggravated by alarming reports from all over Germany. Two thirds of social institutions have already had to limit their offerings or stop them altogether, as a survey of around 8,300 institutions shows. Around 49 percent of those surveyed said they had to reduce their offers due to a lack of money, while 15 percent did so completely. Over 75 percent of those surveyed expect this development to continue in 2025, which raises great fears about the loss of local volunteer commitment.

Michael Groß, President of the Federal Working Group for Independent Welfare, describes the current austerity policy as a threat to the social infrastructure. Caritas President Eva Maria Welskop-Deffaa warns against a progression that could lead to a leaky social network. Diakonie President Rüdiger Schuch expresses similar concerns, classifying the further cuts as a threat to democracy. Rolf Rosenbrock, chairman of the Joint Association, also speaks of increasing inequality and exclusion.

The reality of child poverty in Germany

Another aspect is child poverty, which represents a particularly urgent challenge for Berlin's districts. According to Destatis, almost 2.1 million children and young people under the age of 18 were at risk of poverty in Germany in 2023. This corresponds to an at-risk-of-poverty rate of 14.0 percent. In Berlin, one in four families lives in poverty, which further exacerbates the problem for these cities.

The risk of poverty depends heavily on the educational qualifications of the parents. While 36.8 percent of children of parents with low educational qualifications are affected, the rate for parents with higher educational qualifications is only 5.8 percent. In Berlin, combating this poverty is therefore the focus of public discussion. The governing mayor Kai Wegner has announced that he will provide more money for the districts, but the fundamental structural underfunding remains an urgent problem.

Representatives of the left are calling for a rethink and warning of the consequences of the existing austerity policy. The party leaders are calling for people to take part in the #unshortenable demonstration on October 10th to emphasize the need for better financial security for social services in Berlin.