From October 1, Ukrainians in Germany can expect subsidies for heating, cheaper gas and an increase in the number of cross-border and night trains. But you should be prepared for the fact that tuition fees will increase and you will have to go to the doctor to get sick leave.
Starting October 1, a number of changes will be introduced in Germany affecting many areas of life, from the new train schedule to the reduction of heating tariffs. Some changes will be introduced at the level of individual states and cities. This was reported by the German publication TheLocal.de.
The list of changes includes the following:
- The so-called subsidy for heating with alternative energy sources instead of gas or district heating (Heizkostenzuschuss) will end at the end of September. A new application must be submitted by October 20, after which it is possible to receive up to 2 thousand euros from the government. Residents of Bavaria, Berlin or North Rhine-Westphalia must apply locally;
- For consumers, reducing gas prices will save approximately 130 euros for a single-family home with an annual consumption of 20,000 kWh, approximately 78 euros for a family home with 12 thousand kWh and approximately 33 euros for a single household. 2 thousand kWh. We have a caveat: The price does not drop automatically and is only taken into account for new contracts;
- Students who pay for all or part of their education through student loans face higher interest rates. The increase from 7.55% to 8% is due to the Euribor interest rate used as a reference for KfW student loans;
- Deutsche Bahn railway company is changing its ticket system; long distance savings tickets will be sold at travel centers and agencies only if the customer provides a mobile phone number or email address. The change is being made so that DB can directly alert customers to changes to their journey (for example, if the train is delayed);
- The number of trains to Switzerland is increasing – 13 trains will run instead of 8. In addition, further changes are planned in the rail schedule, which will be announced in December – more cross-border connections and night trains are expected;
- The old procedure for obtaining sick leave is returning. During the pandemic, sick leave documents were issued by phone, but this option will be left to some chronically ill patients.
There will also be a fall time change at the end of the month, on October 29th, which will make the night seem an hour longer. This will pass, despite numerous talks in Germany and other EU countries about abolishing the seasonal time change.
Focus He wrote that Germany plans to halve the amount of funding provided to federal states in 2024 to cover the costs of accepting and integrating Ukrainian refugees. The decision was taken as part of measures to cut budget spending in the face of rising inflation after several years of lavish spending.
We remind you that Focus He warned that Germany’s Interior Ministry announced on September 27 that additional checks would be immediately introduced at the borders with Poland and the Czech Republic, which are among the main routes for illegal human trafficking into the country.
Source: Focus
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