The SPD minister presents key points for a care bonus.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin The care bonus was one of the central promises of the coalition agreement, now Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has presented a first draft. Accordingly, employees in geriatric care should receive a surcharge of up to 550 euros.
In addition, 280,000 nurses in hospitals that were particularly hard hit by the corona pandemic are to benefit. “The premium is to be paid to nurses who have performed outstandingly during the pandemic,” says the key issues paper from Lauterbach’s ministry, which is available to the Handelsblatt.
The details contained therein have not yet been agreed in the traffic light coalition. But Lauterbach was optimistic: “The care bonus is coming,” he said on Tuesday on ZDF.
Originally, Lauterbach had already announced a first draft for the end of January. Until the very end, it was disputed how the bonus should be divided between the nursing staff.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
The federal government is making a total of one billion euros available for the project: 500 million euros each are to be distributed to the hospitals and care facilities. Employees in geriatric care should receive the bonus in the second half of 2022.
Bonus is tax and social security free
In general, all employees in elderly care facilities who worked in a facility for at least three months between November 2020 and June 30, 2022 and are still employed on June 30, 2022 are entitled. The bonus should be free of tax and social security contributions.
Full-time employees in “direct care and support” in geriatric care should receive up to 550 euros, according to the key issues paper. Personnel who have worked at least 25 percent of their working hours in direct care and support should receive up to 370 euros.
Trainees should receive up to 330 euros, other employees up to 190 euros and volunteers and helpers in the voluntary social year up to 60 euros.
For the hospitals, on the other hand, the bonus is not so detailed. “The hospital operators of the beneficiary hospitals decide together with the employee representatives on who is entitled to the premium and the respective amount of the premium,” it says.
Those clinics that were particularly hard hit by the pandemic should receive a bonus. This would include 837 hospitals, which would have treated 95 percent of all corona cases, according to the draft.
More: The minimum wage for nursing care will rise to a good 14 euros by the end of next year