Entlastungspaket

Entlastungspaket is a term used in German politics to describe government measures designed to lessen the financial burden on households during periods of high living costs, especially rising energy prices and inflation. The phrase has been applied to several packages enacted in the 2020s, most prominently in response to the energy crisis and the surge in costs for households and businesses. A notable element often cited in discussions of entlastungspakete is a one-off energy price allowance (Energiepreispauschale) of 300 euros for employees, pensioners and certain other groups, paid through the tax system or payroll.

Typical components of an entlastungspaket include one-off payments or tax reliefs, temporary reductions or exemptions of energy-related charges, and price-controlling measures such as caps or subsidies for electricity and gas. In addition, packages may include reductions of indirect taxes or surcharges, as well as targeted support for low-income households, families with children, and those in need of social benefits. The measures are generally designed to be temporary, crisis-response instruments rather than permanent changes to the tax or welfare system.

Implementation and reception vary by package but usually involve financing through the federal budget, with some measures funded by proceeds from energy sector windfalls or other temporary revenue streams. Entlastungspakete are commonly debated in terms of effectiveness, fairness, distributional impact, and long-term fiscal sustainability, alongside concerns about market distortions and incentives for energy consumption.

In public discourse, the term is used to describe a family of relief measures rather than a single law, reflecting a policy approach aimed at rapid relief during periods of economic stress.