(GermanPolicy.com) – The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBV) finds that the relief package presented by the traffic light coalition to be insufficient. According to the VZBV, there is a lack of compensation for households with lower incomes with regard to gas and heating oil. In the short term, however, the package is helpful. The tank discount is not targeted and promotes the consumption of fossil fuels, the association said, which is not climate friendly.

Criticism also came from the Association of Taxpayers (BdSt): contrary to the plans, the energy price subvention should not be part of what will be assessed with income tax, and meant less relief and more bureaucracy. The BdSt therefore called for improvements towards tax exemption.

Chief Executive Schneider from the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband complained: “Anyone who wants to overcome the social divide must start with the poorest, instead of subsidizing everyone, even the millionaire and Porsche driver, with the watering can.” The relief according to cubic capacity instead of need is socially unfair, budgetary unreasonable and ecologically counterproductive, Schneider pointed out. The Greens’ proposal should have been approved, after which a permanent standard rate increase for the poorest would have been enforced. Food prices were a bigger problem than gas prices. Heating costs for social welfare recipients should be borne in full by the job centers and social welfare offices.

Those who fill their tanks a lot will benefit most from the package, the Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) noted. The social association VdK criticized that pensioners had been forgotten in the package.