aktivierende Sozialhilfe

English translation: welfare to work/welfare-to-work program

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:aktivierende Sozialhilfe
English translation:welfare to work/welfare-to-work program
Entered by: Christine Andrews (X)

11:44 Dec 1, 2004
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Business/Commerce (general)
German term or phrase: aktivierende Sozialhilfe
Institut fuer Wirtschaftsforschung has proposed "ein Modell der aktivierenden Sozialhilfe" as an improvement on the new Hartz IV reforms
Christine Andrews (X)
Local time: 05:07
welfare to work/welfare-to-work program
Explanation:
Hi Chris,

"aktivierende Sozialhilfe" is a program heavily inspired by the American "welfare-to-work program" (for an introduction see here: http://www.doleta.gov/wtw/documents/gp.cfm#gp1; for an explanation of the German term see here: http://www.ifo.de/servlet/page?_pageid=56&_dad=portal30&_sch...

"Aktivierende Sozialhilfe" is a euphemism. What it basically means is this: People who can't find a job (for whatever reasons) and thus become welfare recipients will be required to make an active contribution to the welfare payments they receive under this new scheme (--> that's why it's called "aktivierend"). In practice they're no longer allowed to simply wait for welfare payments to come in (a behavior which has been described as one of the main causes of the high unemployment rate in Germany). Instead, they're expected to earn their own money, as little as it may be, in low-paid jobs. As most of these won't be able to support them, the plan is that the Government will make some welfare payments to complement what they earn. What the proponents of this scheme believe will happen is that long-term welfare recipients will find (better) jobs again, saying any employment is better than no employment at all, and, as a pleasant side effect, the Government will have to spend less money on welfare, which helps reduce the budget deficit.

That's the theory in a nutshell. It remains to be seen what will happen in reality. The concept is certainly debatable (Francis calling it a Gulag 2803).

By the way, the Institute uses "welfare-to-work" to describe their program in English (see the document referred to above).
Selected response from:

innsbruck
Grading comment
Excellent explanation - many thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1welfare to work/welfare-to-work program
innsbruck
3a model for triggering social assistance
gangels (X)
3Back-to-work scheme
Eve Schuttle (X)
2work-oriented social security/benefits system
Kieran McCann
2activating welfare
Michael Kucharski
1Gulag 2803
Francis Lee (X)


  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
Gulag 2803


Explanation:


Francis Lee (X)
Local time: 06:07
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 44

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Terry Moran: Is this a joke? Could you explain it to those who don't get it?
23 hrs
  -> not so much a joke as a wholly unhelpful cynical comment
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The asker has declined this answer

15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
work-oriented social security/benefits system


Explanation:
This is the dreaded 'workfare' in German form, but there must be a more elegant phrasing...'back-to-work benefits system'?

Kieran McCann
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 124
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
welfare to work/welfare-to-work program


Explanation:
Hi Chris,

"aktivierende Sozialhilfe" is a program heavily inspired by the American "welfare-to-work program" (for an introduction see here: http://www.doleta.gov/wtw/documents/gp.cfm#gp1; for an explanation of the German term see here: http://www.ifo.de/servlet/page?_pageid=56&_dad=portal30&_sch...

"Aktivierende Sozialhilfe" is a euphemism. What it basically means is this: People who can't find a job (for whatever reasons) and thus become welfare recipients will be required to make an active contribution to the welfare payments they receive under this new scheme (--> that's why it's called "aktivierend"). In practice they're no longer allowed to simply wait for welfare payments to come in (a behavior which has been described as one of the main causes of the high unemployment rate in Germany). Instead, they're expected to earn their own money, as little as it may be, in low-paid jobs. As most of these won't be able to support them, the plan is that the Government will make some welfare payments to complement what they earn. What the proponents of this scheme believe will happen is that long-term welfare recipients will find (better) jobs again, saying any employment is better than no employment at all, and, as a pleasant side effect, the Government will have to spend less money on welfare, which helps reduce the budget deficit.

That's the theory in a nutshell. It remains to be seen what will happen in reality. The concept is certainly debatable (Francis calling it a Gulag 2803).

By the way, the Institute uses "welfare-to-work" to describe their program in English (see the document referred to above).

innsbruck
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Excellent explanation - many thanks

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Johanna Timm, PhD: aka "WtW". excellent explanation
4 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
activating welfare


Explanation:
Could fit your case.

Michael Kucharski
Local time: 06:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 15
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The asker has declined this answer

4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
a model for triggering social assistance


Explanation:
xxxx

gangels (X)
Local time: 22:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 219
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The asker has declined this answer

8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Back-to-work scheme


Explanation:
Another alternative.

Eve Schuttle (X)
Local time: 05:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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