Luxembourg will present its first-ever national poverty plan to members of parliament on Monday, amid renewed warnings that child poverty remains widespread and insufficiently addressed.
According to information obtained by the Luxemburger Wort, the government plans a series of measures, including raising child benefits by €45 per child. But Charel Schmit, the Ombudsman for Children and Young People (Okaju), said the government was late in responding to a problem that had been evident for years.
“A quarter of children are at risk of poverty, and 15% live in persistent poverty,” Schmit told the Luxemburger Wort. “This is not something that only happens for a year because of parental separation or other family difficulties.”
Government to increase child benefits by €45 per child
Schmit added that 8% of children experience poverty defined as material deprivation. “They lack things that are taken for granted by their peers. For example, they cannot celebrate birthdays, go on vacation or participate in other activities like going to the cinema. Essentially, they are excluded from many social, cultural and sporting activities that their peers enjoy.”
Has the government done enough?
Asked whether the government has done enough so far, Schmit said no.
“No, that’s quite clear: tax regulations can certainly have an effect, but their impact only becomes apparent after a long time,” he said. The government had exempted minimum wage earners from income tax this year, for example, and also reduced tax burdens for single parents.
“The figures on child poverty have been known for years and are regularly addressed by us, by Unicef and by Statec. We saw this development coming.”
He added that if there is concern about the “working poor”, it also importnat to remember that the “working poor” have children. “It is therefore important that the government now presents an ambitious plan to combat poverty.”
Housing a priority
Schmit pointed to housing as the most urgent area for action.
“Children and young people today are growing up in poor housing conditions,” he said. “Politicians must create affordable housing, build more social housing, and offer a larger housing stock that can accommodate families with children – including families with many children.”
Shortening summer holidays
In its annual report, Okaju also proposed shortening the summer school holidays from eight to six weeks.
“Families are having trouble with the current school schedule because their vacation days are insufficient to cover the school holidays,” Schmit said. “Holidays should be spread throughout the year so that families can better organise themselves.”
Education Minister Claude Meisch in an interview with the Luxembourg Times had previously said he does not see a need to change the holiday schedule.
Ombudsman’s role
Schmit noted that the Okaju can intervene in administrative matters but not in court cases.
“The ombudsman can intervene in administrative proceedings, provided they are not court cases,” he said. “Our task is to ensure that decisions concerning children and young people always take their perspective into account and that the question is raised whether the decision is truly in their best interests.”
(This article was originally published by Luxemburger Wort. Translated using AI and edited by Kabir Agarwal.)
