A recently published study by Prof. Dr. Andreas Rein from the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society (HWG LU) together with Ludwigshafen debtor and insolvency advisor Caro Berndt on the transfer of insolvency advice from the state to the local authorities has met with great interest from the SPD parliamentary group in the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament. The results of this research project, funded by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences, were presented by the two researchers at an expert discussion on Tuesday.
Ludwigshafen am Rhein, 22.06.2023: On June 20, 2023, Prof. Dr. Andreas Rein from HWG Ludwigshafen and debtor and insolvency advisor at Diakonisches Werk Pfalz, Caro Berndt, presented their research project on the transfer of insolvency advice to local authorities as part of an expert discussion in front of the SPD state parliamentary group in the NRW state parliament. The background to this is that the state of NRW is planning to transfer insolvency counseling, for which the state is currently responsible, to the municipalities - similar to the approach already practiced in Bavaria, which the author duo examined in more detail in their research project: As part of the study supported by Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Andreas Rein and Caro Berndt used several qualitative interviews to examine the advantages and disadvantages of transferring insolvency advice in Bavaria, found it to be good in principle and, in a second step, examined the possibility of transferring this model to other federal states.
The discussion in the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament was attended by Inge Blask MdL, Commissioner for Consumer Protection of the SPD state parliamentary group, and other speakers from the SPD state parliamentary group, as well as representatives of various associations (Petra Köpping, Working Group of the Central Associations of Independent Welfare of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Roman Schlag as spokesperson for the Working Group of Debt Counselling Associations and Petra Wellmann, Head of the Credit and Debt Relief Group of the NRW Consumer Advice Centre). Nadine Heselhaus, consumer policy spokesperson for the SPD parliamentary group and member of the Bundestag, also joined in via Zoom.
Andreas Rein and Caro Berndt first presented their study and then answered numerous questions during a lively discussion. Nadine Heselhaus then presented the status of the debate on the reform of debtor and insolvency counseling at federal level - after all, the coalition agreement between the two parties has committed to further expanding debtor and insolvency counseling. In particular, Nadine Heselhaus explained the problems involved in anchoring a free right to debt counseling for all in the Social Security Code XII, as demanded in particular by the working group of debt counseling associations. Finally, Inge Blask MdL reported on the current status regarding the transfer of insolvency counseling to the municipalities in NRW.
Download the study at: https://www.fes.de/abteilung-analyse-planung-und-beratung/artikelseite-apb/uebertragung-der-insolvenzberatung-auf-kommunen
Specialist contact:
Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society
Department of Social and Health Care
Prof. Dr. Andreas Rein
Professorship of Social Benefits Law
Tel. 0621/5203-534
E-mail: andreas.rein@ 8< SPAM protection, please remove >8 hwg-lu.de
