People with Low Income (March 2023)

The study on people with low incomes was conducted by Kantar Public on behalf of the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government. During the survey period 01.03.2023 to 10.03.2023, 1,030 low-income people aged 18 and over (with a needs-weighted net income of up to 1,500 euros) were surveyed in online interviews (CAWI) on the following topics: dealing with inflation and evaluating the relief measures, claiming social benefits and assessing the new regulations on the citizen´s income. The respondents were selected by a quota sample from an online access panel.<br>Concerns about inflation: Strength of the burden of general price increases.

Block A - Social environment, values, uncertainties: Values (central contents of life: to be as free and independent as possible, to be politically or socially active, to be financially secure, to have good relationships with other people, to enjoy life, to live in an environmentally conscious way, to have children, to be there for others, to help others, to have a nice and cosy home, to have a fulfilling job or occupation, to live healthily); agreement with statements on the topic of work and working life (one´s own work often brings one to the limits of one´s physical or mental resilience, confidence with regard to professional advancement in the foreseeable future, work gives the feeling of being needed, fear of losing one´s job, lack of labour in Germany opens up new career opportunities); membership in a political party, trade union, citizens´ initiative or non-governmental organisation; type of voluntary activities (in an aid organisation (e.g. food banks, refugee aid), in the church or a religious community, in a club, in social or youth work, in rescue or medical services (e.g. volunteer fire brigade, DLRG); agreement with statements about own living environment (Changes in society frighten me, I feel left alone by the state, I have good friends who support me, I am flexible enough to be able to adjust to difficult situations, I can largely determine my own life, in financial emergencies I can rely on the financial support of my parents/siblings or other relatives, I feel that life is a constant struggle, I feel marginalised, within my means I support my friends and family when necessary).

Block B - Future perspectives: Confidence vs. worries with regard to the personal future in the following areas: financial situation, housing situation, health, old-age provision and career prospects; assessment of the future prospects of own children.

Block C - Financial situation: Change in financial situation in recent years; perceived burden of current price increases in various areas (petrol, buying food, costs for craftsmen, heating, electricity, costs for public transport, going to restaurants, going to events, leisure activities, buying clothes, costs for hobbies, costs for holidays, travel, hotels, rental costs); changes in everyday behaviour due to increased prices (I drive less, I heat more cautiously, I set the temperature at home lower than usual, I pay more attention to the price when shopping, I only buy food and everyday products that I really need, I buy more expensive products more on instalments, I make sure to use less hot water, I do without certain leisure activities, I make sure to save electricity, I now use public transport more often, I have postponed larger purchases for the time being, I do without holiday trips, I have cancelled memberships and subscriptions, I meet fewer people than before because joint activities are often associated with additional costs); characterisation of the household´s financial situation (my household can usually still put some money aside at the end of the month, my household cannot put any money aside at the end of the month but the money is enough to cover running costs, my household currently has to fall back on savings to cover running costs, my household is helping itself with credit in the current crisis (consumer credit, instalment credit, overdraft facility/overdraft); claiming state benefits by persons in their own household (parental allowance, child benefit, advance maintenance payments, reductions via a social or family pass, unemployment benefit, citizen´s allowance, housing benefit/ housing benefit plus, certificate of entitlement to social housing, training assistance/ BAföG); reasons for not claiming the above-mentioned state benefits (because there is no entitlement to the benefit, because I do not know whether there is an entitlement or not, because I do not know who to turn to, because it is inconvenient for me to apply for such benefits); forms of personal financial old-age provision (entitlements from statutory pension insurance/civil servant pension, entitlements from a company pension scheme, entitlements from a private pension scheme, individual provision, home ownership or building society savings contract, none of the above); changes to pension provision due to the high cost of living (already cancelled corresponding contracts, let corresponding contracts rest temporarily, provide less or have reduced corresponding benefits, have thought about changing something, do not currently intend to change something).

Block D - Expectations of politics and the welfare state: Opinion on state support due to the current price increases (support measures for all citizens, regardless of individual income, state aid only for those with low income and few financial resources, everyone has to see for themselves how they get through the crisis); awareness of state measures and support offers by the federal government (gas and electricity price brake, takeover of the December discount for gas and district heating, reduction of VAT for gas and district heating from19% to 7%, one-time 300 euro subsidy on energy prices per person, one-time payment for the unemployed and people on basic security benefits, one-time payment of 200 euro for students, students on technical courses, increase in child benefit, Housing Benefit Plus: more households are eligible and housing benefit is increased, increase in commuter allowance to 38 cents from the 21st kilometre. introduction of a nationwide 49 euro ticket for local transport from May 2023, raising the midi-job limit to 2,000 euros, additional heating allowance for people with low incomes, tax relief on income tax, pension contributions can be fully deducted from tax, tax relief on both home office allowances, enabling a tax-free special payment of up to 3,000 euros by companies to their employees (inflation compensation premium); assessment of the above-mentioned government measures as helpful; being informed about government support measures (I actively inform myself, i.e. I specifically look for information about this, I rather get information about government support measures by chance e.g. via my normal media consumption, neither, both); being informed about government relief measures; assessment of government relief measures (sufficient, go too far or do not go far enough); strength of support for one´s own household in the last twelve months inflation; need for further relief measures for one´s own household; additional desired measures to mitigate price increases (open); attitude towards social equalisation (no more incentive to work in Germany because in many jobs one hardly earns more than the unemployed, people with an income over 100. 000 should pay more taxes, people with assets over 2 million euros should pay more taxes, unemployed Germans should get more support than refugees); assessment of various aspects of the new citizen´s income (raising the standard rate to 502 euros for a single adult, assets up to 40,000 euros are not touched in the first year of receipt, in the first year of receipt the actual housing costs are taken over regardless of the amount, higher allowances so that one can earn more on top, better support for vocational training of low-skilled workers, reduction of benefits up to a maximum of 30 % for recipients who do not comply with job centre requirements, recipients should no longer have to accept jobs for which they are overqualified, but should instead be able to undertake additional training); assessment of the amount of the citizen´s income (too high, appropriate, too low).

Demography: sex; age; age groups; federal state; education; household size; household composition; net household income (threshold); employment; housing situation (for rent/own flat, own house); location size; party sympathies, migration background.

Additionally coded were: serial number; total membership; total honorary office; weighting factor.