Our FAQ (FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions, i.e., a collection of frequently asked questions and answers) to „Violence Support Services Act“ keeps growing!
We have included a new question that deals with parts of the law: the different points in time for intervention and their significance for financing, legal entitlements and the practice of the aid system.
What is it about?
The provisions of the Violence Assistance Act do not come into force all at once – it provides for a staggered time model that has significant implications:
From 2027 The federal states bear the responsibility for ensuring this: They must guarantee a needs-based, nationwide network of protective facilities and specialist advisory centers. To support this, From then on, they will be relieved of lower VAT payments to the federal government, meaning they will have correspondingly more financial resources available.
From 2032 The individual legal right to protection and counselling comes into effect. Only then will the federal states assume full financial responsibility; municipal reimbursements for stays in women's shelters via the German Social Code, Book II (SGB II) will cease.
The time in between It is complex: Existing facilities can only be recognized as "facilities under the Violence Assistance Act" once state implementing laws are in place – which means that several paragraphs of the law are currently ineffective.
Our answer also sheds light on why the federal funds provided through the financial equalization scheme – even according to optimistic calculations – will not be sufficient to finance the ongoing operation of the aid system, and what options institutions have when municipal funding is eliminated or reduced.
Quality recommendations
Current women's shelter statistics
