Germany to tackle welfare fraud through new 10-point plan

The German government has drawn up a 10-point plan of action to combat the abuse of social benefits to be implemented by the end of the year, dpa learned on Wednesday.

The plan aims to reduce incentives for people to migrate to Germany in order to access its social welfare system, with the aim of ending large-scale abuse of the social benefit system.

The government also wants to make it easier to combat exploitative business models involving rundown or substandard properties used in schemes targeting vulnerable people.

The plan has been drawn up by the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry headed by Bärbel Bas, and the Interior Ministry under Alexander Dobrindt.

Bas said the aim was to give municipalities the power to take more effective action against substandard properties, with those behind organized exploitation held accountable.