Status: 07.08.2024 08:12 a.m.
Hamburg has demanded back 180 million euros in Corona emergency aid from self-employed individuals and entrepreneurs. This is according to a Senate response to a request from the CDU.
The background is that many applications were wrongly approved. In order to provide rapid assistance during the Corona pandemic, emergency aid was paid out unbureaucratically and without extensive needs assessment. A total of 58,200 applications for Corona emergency aid were approved in Hamburg. Around 550 million euros were paid out.
38 percent of applicants received too much money
According to the city, a closer examination later revealed that a good 38 percent of applicants had received too much money. 22,400 applications were affected.
Despite deadline: thousands of cases still open
Those affected had to repay their emergency aid in whole or in part by the end of last year. However, around 5,800 cases are still open. In addition, almost 10,000 self-employed people have agreed with the city to pay in installments or to defer payments. However, some cases are still being examined – in some cases the recipients of the money had objected to the repayment or had filed a lawsuit against it.
CDU: Repayment should only be enforced with discretion
For Götz Wiese (CDU), the agreed deferrals and installment payments are a clear sign that many entrepreneurs cannot raise the money. If this drives self-employed people into bankruptcy, no one will be helped, says Wiese. He calls on the Senate to enforce the repayments with discretion. It is important to “ensure a balance between the economic efficiency of government action and the viability of the self-employed and small businesses.”
Further information
The Senate had originally planned to repay the Corona debt over 20 years. The city is now saving on interest payments. (May 25, 2024) more
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NDR 90.3 | NDR 90.3 Current | 07.08.2024 | 09:00 a.m.
