Enlarge image
Supercomputer “HoreKa” at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Photo: Amadeus Bramsiepe / KiT / dpa
There are calls in the SPD to reform the welfare state. It's about increasing efficiency in the system, reducing bureaucracy and saving costs, according to a strategy paper from the conservative "Seeheimer Circle" that SPIEGEL has received. The group, which claims to include 95 SPD members of the Bundestag, is in favor of bundling administrative procedures in the general part of the Social Security Code.
“We have to clear up the jungle of social codes,” said Takis Mehmet Ali, SPD MP and author of the strategy paper, to SPIEGEL. "People are overwhelmed by the mass of regulations."
According to Mehmet Ali, the goal must be to have a social code that states which benefits you are entitled to - and not, as is currently the case, in countless different laws. The Social Democrat admitted that simplifying social laws was a complex task. "That's why we're proposing a welfare state pact with the states."
The “Seeheimer Circle” also advocates more transparency in administration in order to make decisions more understandable and increase their acceptance. People should have easier access to social benefits, for example through barrier-free online processes. “The misuse of social benefits is often discussed, but non-use is rarely discussed,” says the paper.
Artificial intelligence could help to improve service and relieve employees. “AI is still only used sporadically, but its widespread use in social administration can be a benefit for everyone,” write the authors. They emphasize that the decisions still have to be made by people, but AI applications could help to prepare them and improve their quality. The reform will cost money, the paper says. Tax financing must be considered in order to avoid rising social security contributions.