Social ticket for 9 euros: Senate expects significantly more applicants

The Berlin Senate expects a significant increase in the use of the social ticket for local public transport.

On the one hand, the number of people entitled to the S-Ticket will increase from 532,000 to 644,000, as Social Senator Katja Kipping (Left Party) explained on Tuesday after the Senate meeting. On the other hand, the price will drop: until now, the S-Ticket has cost 27.50 euros per month. From January until at least April, it will be available for 9 euros. "So far, one in three of those entitled buys a social ticket," said Kipping. It can be assumed that the demand will increase.

Many people are eligible for the S-Ticket

Everyone who is dependent on unemployment benefit II and social benefit is eligible, including people who have to supplement their income in addition to the long-term unemployed, said Kipping. Those entitled to benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act and housing benefit recipients could also use the S-Ticket. Where they regularly receive a new notice of entitlement - for example, at job centres, housing benefit offices and social welfare offices - there is also proof of entitlement for the S-Ticket for 9 euros.

Longer duration of the 9 euro social ticket possible

Kipping said that the discounted social ticket would not only be available in the first quarter: She said that an agreement had already been reached with the supervisory board of the Berlin-Brandenburg transport association on the first three months. Everything else still has to be clarified. But it can be assumed that the offer will not stop on April 1. "I am very happy that we have a non-bureaucratic solution with the reduction of the social ticket," said Kipping. She said inflation was hitting poorer people particularly hard, for example in food and electricity. "And the people who have to turn over every euro three times also don't have this buffer where they can save on less essentials."

Savings of 18.50 euros per month

The social ticket would save 18.50 euros a month. "That is money that can help to compensate for the increase in food prices. This variant of relief would also ensure that there would be no deductions, Kipping said. "If we as the Land of Berlin had simply taken money into our hands and made it available to the poorest through a direct transfer, it would have been counted as income and would have resulted in something being deducted from social benefits." Parallel to the S-Ticket for 9 euros, there will be a public transport ticket for 29 euros in the new year for an initial period of three months, limited to Berlin, as has been the case since October.