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German Town Docks Beggars' Welfare Checks

National outcry forces officials to refund panhandlers' money

By Wesley Oliver, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 2, 2009 7:17 PM CDT

(Newser) – Beggars can’t be choosers, and in Germany, they also have trouble being charity cases. One unemployed welfare recipient in the college town of Göttingen learned that lesson last week after officials discovered he was panhandling and threatened to yank $161 out of his monthly $470 welfare payment. The reason: German law forbids welfare recipients from receiving supplemental income, Der Spiegel reports.

After the man complained, officials lowered the penalty to $67, but nationwide scorn still followed. “Society has never gone this low before,” said one prominent philanthropist, while a social services spokesman said that collectors had “entirely overreacted.” Göttingen’s mayor, who acknowledged “two or three other cases,” has ordered a full restoration of payments to all affected.

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German law prohibits recipients of social welfare, as opposed to those who qualify for unemployment insurance payments, from supplementing their income. (Shutter Stock)

Gottingen's mayor has ordered the full restoration of welfare payments to all recipients who had been penalized for receiving charity. (Shutter Stock)

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Society has never
gone this low before. - Manfred Grönig, philanthropist

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German Town Docks Beggars' Welfare Checks