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At the end of October, the federal government announced comprehensive aid for all businesses affected by the November restrictions.

Economy Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) promised at the time: "We are not leaving our companies and their employees alone in this serious situation, but are expanding our offers of help for the self-employed, companies and institutions affected."

Less than a month later, restaurants, leisure and cultural institutions are still waiting for the promised November aid.

It is becoming apparent that all companies affected by the restrictions will have to wait a long time for higher transfers.

That can drag on into January.

And with the December aid planned to compensate for the ongoing forced closings next month, it could take even longer.

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The affected companies had imagined it differently.

At the end of November, the promised subsidies are still a long way off.

"An application is not yet possible," said the German Hotel and Restaurant Association Dehoga early on Wednesday afternoon.

That is very unsatisfactory.

Applications cannot yet be submitted

On the relevant website of the Federal Ministry of Economics for the applications (ueberbrueckungshilfe-unternehmen.de) it was still pointed out at the time that it will start “probably on November 25, 2020”, ie on Wednesday of this week.

When asked for an exact start date, the ministry did not respond.

Altmaier had promised that at least the first installments would be transferred in November.

There is talk of up to 50 percent of the requested amount, a maximum of 10,000 euros.

This can still happen, but is not necessarily more likely given such delays.

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Overall, the politicians estimate the aid payments for November at 15 billion euros.

But not all of it will flow this year.

At least the Federal Ministry of Finance is preparing for this.

"Provision must also be made for the so-called November aid in the event that payments should still be made in 2021," says the revised budget for 2021, for which the details will be clarified by Parliament this week.

Accordingly, every restaurateur, concert organizer and fitness studio operator must be prepared for the fact that the now announced expansion of November aid to December will no longer come before Christmas.

"Aid in December will be paid out in January," expects Otto Fricke, head housekeeper of the FDP.

16.6 billion euros planned as December aid

This is also because there is not enough money left in the 2020 federal budget for such expenses.

For all corporate aid that is paid as grants - i.e. as money that does not have to be paid back - almost 25 billion euros are planned in the current budget.

Before the second lockdown and November aid, that seemed like a hefty amount.

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But now the November aid is estimated at 15 billion euros, the December aid is currently being planned with 16.6 billion euros.

There is also the so-called bridging aid II, which companies can use to cover ongoing operating costs.

A few weeks ago, Minister of Economic Affairs Altmaier named an amount of five billion euros by the end of the year.

All in all, the funds required for payments to small and medium-sized companies this year are currently estimated at almost 37 billion euros.

That is twelve billion euros more than was originally reserved.

Postponing some of the aid to the next budget year is therefore inevitable.

In the meantime, the discussion about the fundamental question of whether this type of aid should even be extended to December and then possibly also to January is gaining momentum.

An extension of the aid funds is necessary and can be financed, says Gabriel Felbermayr, President of the Institute for the World Economy (IfW).

"The corporate aid must be revised," he said.

Orientation towards sales leads to false incentives.

Countries should participate from January

Unlike before, when mainly fixed-cost subsidies were granted, the November aid is based on the previous year's sales, which can usually be offset by 75 percent.

Unlike last year, restaurateurs who are not allowed to open have no expenses for food and beverages this month, for example.

That means they are getting more money from the state than they are losing from the closure this month.

In the end, this can mean that a closed company is financially better off than an open company.

In the event that this type of aid is continued in the coming year, the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag is already preparing.

According to the CDU / CSU parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus, the costs for closings could only be borne by the federal government in December alone.

"From January, the countries should participate," he said.

He has already set a controversial topic for the next crisis meeting between the Prime Ministers and the Chancellor.