The word Herdprämie is a term that is often used in the media to refer to a scheme planned by the German Government to reward parents who stay at home to look after their children.

There have been several versions on this plan, with most of the ideas resulting in parents receiving a set amount of money in some form or other, which they can either keep if they stay at home to look after their children before they reach school age, or to spend on a place at a Kindergarten.

A cynical view of this is that it means paying mothers for spending more time in the kitchen, hence the Prämie (premium, ie. reward) for being at the Herd (cooker).

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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Ich-AG is a term used to refer to state support for unemployed people who turned self-employed between 2003 and 2006.

It was intended to assist with payments such as health insurance and pension contributions during the start-up phase of the new business.

Over the years the process of applying became more complicated, making it more difficult and less attractive.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

(Press the “play” button to listen to the podcast)

Download the MP3 file