Hardfall funds in Gießen: Why hardly anyone is looking for help!

Hardfall funds in Gießen: Why hardly anyone is looking for help!

In Gießen, a new approach to combat power barriers ensures attention, since in 2023 almost 300 households in the urban area were excluded from electricity. In order to counteract this, a hardship fund was launched, which is primarily intended for low -income households. However, contrary to expectations, this fund has not been used.

The hardship fund introduced last year, which is equipped with 120,000 euros annually, seems to be missing in the practical implementation. The social head of Gießen, Francesco Arman, reported in the city parliament that a single application for help had not yet been received. This surprised many, especially since the already tense economic conditions in Germany play an important role here. Arman attributes the non -institution to the successful prevention work of various facilities that counteract financial bottlenecks.

power blocks and prevention work

According to Arman's data, there were a total of 1700 threats of power barriers last year, but actually only 285 households were affected. The maximum duration of a power barrier was five days. These figures are relatively stable compared to previous years after they were 261 before the Ukraine conflict. The war in Ukraine undoubtedly had an impact on the energy markets, which is also due to the price situation in Germany.

The urban initiatives mainly focus on preventive measures. This includes advisory services in which needy households are specifically supported in order to avoid a power lock from the outset. The cooperation between various institutions, such as the job center and debt counseling, is emphasized as exemplary. According to Arman, the Nordstadtzentrum in particular successfully contributed to the aversion of power barriers in several consultations.

Although the hardship fund is considered the last option to prevent a blocking, there are other support programs. These contain loans from various social institutions and state funds. So far, the state fund has only been paid twice for support.

If the situation is summarized, it should be noted that the efforts to prevent power barriers in Gießen are successful, but the hardship fund has not yet had the hoped -for effect. There is still a chance to change because the fund will remain active until 2026, i.e. until the end of the current parliamentary term. This challenge continues to require a high degree of commitment from everyone involved in order to offer the affected households a sustainable solution and to break through the cycle of debt and closures. These processes and the developments behind it show how important it is to have robust social networks in times of crisis.