It is an unusual procedure: In April of this year, Director of Security Mario Fehr (SP) has introduced the new social assistance act and in the consultation sent. The deadline to comment on expire by the end of the year – however, the SVP has filed recently in the cantonal Parliament three initiatives on the social assistance law. At the same time she was at a media conference stated, the new law go in a completely wrong direction.

Two of the SVP initiatives would change the current legal severe: new clients will receive 30 percent less money than in the current guidelines. Only those who are motivated and engaged shows, would receive in the sense of a Bonus level. On the other, the height is to be provided by the social assistance depending on the number of years in which the person Concerned paid taxes.

This provides a far shake of the head. Not only because of the content, but especially because of the timing: It is very unusual to launch during an ongoing consultation on new initiatives. “This is pretty fucked up and probably only with the upcoming election to explain the fight”, says Andreas Daurù, Co-President of the SP and a member of the Parliament member of Commission for the social assistance act vorberatend responsible.

Similar to Astrid Furrer (FDP), which is also a member of the preparatory Committee: “Normally, you would not do such a thing. The SVP would have been able to bring up your concerns in the debate around the law.” Furrer holds the procedure, nevertheless, is legitimate, especially since the new law for several years at the security Directorate in work. And the advice in the Council is likely to take at least another two to three years: “you don’t want to make as a party forward, is understandable.”

criticism from all sides

In the cantonal Parliament will have the two motions hardly great opportunities. To do this, you are formulated for the other bourgeois parties of the radical. But they show one thing: The issue of social assistance is political fighting with hard bandages.

Yesterday, the independent Agency for social assistance law (UFS), together with other actors such as Caritas and Avenir Social, as a precautionary measure alert: In social assistance the country can be observed far a race to the bottom, and have also found in the new law on social aid its precipitation. It was in this Form, is untenable and is not acceptable. “There are numerous deterioration brings real relief for the Affected,” says UFS-speaker Basil Weingartner. “Our lawyers were shocked.”

the provisions on exchange and sharing of sensitive personal data to be “in no other area of law so exciting and versatile”. In fact, there is a future for social assistance recipients is no privacy anymore. Also have the right to defend themselves against conditions that will severely restricted. Overall, the law makes it difficult for access to social assistance massively.

Caritas-Director Max Elmiger called for a technical, non-political discussion on social assistance: “The continued political pressure is alarming.”

Skos is not to should go to the law

In fulfilment of Elmigers desire. The social assistance is for years, also in the Canton of Zurich under political pressure. For several years SVP, FDP, GLP and EDU with Initiatives to beat, to restrict social assistance. The new law contains a number of provisions, which the member of the Parliament expected to be intense is likely to discuss.

the first is the question of whether the guidelines of the Swiss social assistance conference (Skos) should be enshrined in the law. So far, they are not; the governing Council may set the amount of the social assistance contributions, based but for years, the Skos guidelines. In the new draft of the law, and what is criticized by the associations of yesterday. The open arbitrariness. The SP does not agree with the criticism. Andreas Daurù says: “the guidelines in the law, threaten to be the plaything of political Initiatives.”

Linda Camenisch (FDP), however, criticized, Mario Fehr had missed the Chance to present to the Council in the Canton of Zurich, tailor-made to the regulations: “The law is not a real audit; Fehr to fit only what he had to anyway.”

another point that should be talked about, is the cost of the key. So far, the Canton pays 4 percent of the social assistance, the Rest have to carry the communities themselves. There is an exception for foreigners: In the case of those who are still living ten years in Switzerland, the Canton of the full cost. In the future, the Canton wants to generally Finance one-quarter of social assistance costs, regardless of the Status of the persons Concerned. The not rich, the municipalities – and this point of view, most of the parties share. They tend to favour a 50/50 cost key.

lay authorities overwhelmed

Highly controversial will be the passage that restricts the competences of the existing welfare authorities. The new law requires all municipalities to the development of a social service – which could also be in the composite, the results of the cases. The social authority is only strategically.

The SVP rejects this passage flatly. Thus, the functioning of critical authorities would be degraded “to round pure Chat”, which would have cost no more influence on the rising social. On the left, on the Council side, the professionalization of pushes, however, on consent, as well as in the associations. The social assistance law is so complicated, that it could overwhelm the lay authorities.

How social assistance in the Canton of Zurich limited

The member of the Parliament should be treated in the past three years a number of social assistance initiatives, some of them he will have a debate in the near future.

Skos-guidelines: In June 2015, the Council has rejected 96:73 votes, a Motion by the FDP, GLP and the SVP, which would have repealed the legal liability of the Skos guidelines. Today must keep municipalities in the assessment of the social help to the guidelines of the Swiss social assistance conference (Skos). The specified services were the Motionären to be generous. In addition, they criticised that the municipalities pay social assistance, can not actively participate in the services.

rent: In June 2016 was adopted a further Motion by the FDP, GLP and the SVP 103:64 votes, according to which the rental costs for social assistance recipients in the future can be directly to the landlord paid. So far, this is only possible if the consume social assistance recipients with the rent money elsewhere or reasonable suspicion.

social detectives: Because the European court of human rights considers the legal basis for the Monitoring of Insured persons in Switzerland, as insufficiently supported by the cantonal Parliament in February 2018, with 122 votes, a parliamentary Initiative (PI) from the SVP, FDP and BDP are provisional. It requires a Supplement to the law on social assistance. This is to empower the welfare authorities in the case of the “determination of facts”, to observe help-seeking persons in public space.

holiday: at the end of November was rejected by 102:60 votes a PI of EDU. The founders wanted to prevent, that social assistance recipients would be financially better off than workers in low-wage segments. In particular, they wanted to ban the financing of vacation. The Council also spoke out against a slightly weakened variant of the Initiative.

opportunity for Appeal: is A PI of the SVP, the Council adopted at the end of November, however, with the 108:61 votes. Therefore, can social contest help recipients of requirements imposed by the welfare authorities only if it results in a reduction of the results of social assistance. Today, you can already do this, if the pads are equipped.

study: , the Council has Adopted a 100:68 votes, a further PI of the SVP. You should allow it only in exceptional cases that economic help to students of a University will be paid.

reduction and penalties: are Pending motions in the cantonal Parliament, three SVP. The people’s party to restrict social welfare to the absolute minimum subsistence level will correspond to what a reduction in social assistance by 30 percent. Almost as a motivation, the abridged money to be paid, if the behaviour of recipients of social assistance co-operative. Further, the SVP will establish the amount of social assistance to the number of years in which a recipient in Switzerland previously paid taxes. And finally, the SVP wants to allow in a PI the use of GPS trackers for Surveillance of social assistance recipients by law. (b)

(Tages-Anzeiger)

Created: 12.12.2018, 20:54 PM