Proposal sought by the Commission for a directive safeguarding workers from ionizing radiation hazards.
In a critical stance, the JFW NRW, a regional welfare organisation in North Rhine-Westphalia, has been vocal about the German federal government's approach to reforming the long-term care insurance system. The organisation, led by deputy chairman Tristan Süper, has been expressing concerns about the government's plan, which they argue is insufficient and short-sighted.
The traffic light government had initially promised to relieve the long-term care insurance from pension contributions for caring relatives and to reimburse the additional costs of the long-term care insurance from the pandemic period. However, the government's plan only involves increasing contribution rates by up to 0.3 percentage points, a measure that particularly burdens employees and families.
In June 2023, the general contribution rate in the long-term care insurance was increased to 3.4 percent, a move that has already been implemented. The JFW NRW's proposal focuses on avoiding further burdening citizens through the long-term care insurance, but according to Tristan Süper, this solution will burden the insured additional and will not be sufficient in the long run to stabilize the system.
The current reform plan by the government does not address the long-term sustainability of the long-term care insurance system. The JFW NRW, on the other hand, advocates for strengthening the long-term care insurance through a restructuring of financing. They also call for a fundamental reform that focuses on sustainable financing and structural improvements.
The JFW NRW is critical of Finance Minister Christian Lindner for blocking necessary subsidies from tax funds to maintain the debt brake. They also advocate for a stronger use of tax funds to limit the increasing co-payments of the care-dependent.
The long-term care insurance in North Rhine-Westphalia is on the brink of insolvency, with a potential collapse as early as February 2025. This situation, according to Tristan Süper, is a result of the government's quick fixes instead of sustainable solutions.
In a bid to prepare a nursing care reform, the German federal government initiated a Bund-Länder working group in mid-2025. The group is focusing on stabilizing the care insurance system, including possible benefit cuts and financial adjustments. However, the allocation of a loan of 500 million euros in 2025 and 1.5 billion euros in 2026 to partially cover coronavirus-related costs in the care sector has been criticized as a postponement rather than a solution.
On a regional level, programs supporting home care and community nursing have yearly budgets around 11.7 million euros. Despite these efforts, the JFW NRW's reform proposal does not directly address the promise of relieving the long-term care insurance from pension contributions for caring relatives.
In conclusion, the JFW NRW's calls for a fundamental reform of the long-term care insurance system to ensure sustainable financing and structural improvements are gaining traction as the current system faces a potential collapse. The organisation's criticism of the government's approach and Finance Minister Christian Lindner's role in the situation adds to the growing debate surrounding the future of long-term care insurance in Germany.
