During the Corona pandemic, the emergency aid was intended to help small businesses and the self-employed. Some now have to pay the money back – and are getting into big trouble as a result. The CDU parliamentary group is calling for a balance to be struck.
The Hamburg Investment and Development Bank (IFB) has demanded the return of more than one in three approved Corona emergency aid grants in Hamburg, either in part or in full. This was revealed by the Senate’s response to a minor inquiry from the CDU parliamentary group. The IFB therefore issued a demand for repayment for around 22,400 applications – this corresponds to a share of around 38.5 percent. The demands for repayment total around 180 million euros. The IFB is demanding money back because, according to its assessment, the applicant’s payment difficulties were only partially or not present.
CDU politician Wiese: City must weigh up
Most applicants have now paid the refund, as the response further shows. However, in around 5,800 cases, payments are still partially or fully outstanding. Most of the refunds have been issued, the government said. More could be added due to ongoing hearings. According to the IFB, the payment deadline ends four weeks after receipt of a notice.
The economic policy spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group, Götz Wiese, said that many self-employed people and small business owners had difficulties with repayment. As can be seen from the response, the IFB has concluded around 8,300 deferral agreements – i.e. postponed payment. In addition, the accounting authority Kasse Hamburg agreed to installment payments in around 1,600 cases.
It is right that emergency aid that has been wrongfully received must be repaid, said Wiese. However, it is damaging to the public sector if self-employed people with a functioning business model are driven into bankruptcy. “Here I expect the city to weigh up the situation when dealing with repayment claims,” said Wiese.
Emergency aid was offered in 2020
During the Corona pandemic, the state approved several economic aid measures. After the pandemic began, the federal government set up emergency aid, which was intended to secure the existence of small businesses and the self-employed during the first lockdown. The emergency aid could be applied for from March to May 2020. According to the Federal Ministry of Economics, the federal government paid out around 13.6 billion euros for around 1.7 million applications. The ministry recently estimated that around five billion euros too much had been paid out.
The federal states had their own procedures for payment. In Hamburg, the IFB is responsible. Like other federal states, Hamburg increased the aid. In total, around 550 million euros in Corona emergency aid was paid out in Hamburg, as the response shows.
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