The association said in its report that social gaps in Germany are widening, while poverty is becoming more entrenched among the elderly, women and single parents.
The association’s executive director, Joachim Ruck, said: “We are witnessing a society that is becoming more and more socially distant,” warning that talk of further cuts increases fear and uncertainty, and is in the interest of populists and extremists.
According to the European Union’s definition, people are considered to be at risk of poverty if their income is less than 60% of the national average. In Germany, this limit reached 1,446 euros per month for a family consisting of one person, and 3,036 euros for a family consisting of two adults and two children under the age of fourteen.
The report indicated that many families face difficulty in covering daily expenses, as the income of 6.9% of the population was not sufficient last year to cover regular living costs, including energy bills and replacing basic household appliances.
The poverty rate among those aged 65 years and over reached 19.5%, meaning that about one in every five people in this age group is affected by poverty. The percentage among women over 75 years increases to 21.3%.
People who live alone also face a greater risk, at 30.3%, compared to 28.9% for single parents.
Rock warned that the impact of the elderly, after long years of work, and families with children, reveals deficiencies in the welfare state, considering that applying further cuts “does not combat crises, but rather makes them worse.”
