Hamburg invests in innovative social protection

The “House of Health and Work” will help citizens who are forced to cope with reduced incomes due to illness

If you weren’t already convinced that the German city of Hamburg is ahead of the curve in terms of social protection, then this will certainly remedy that.

The Hanseatic city has announced an investment of 11 million euros in a new landmark project – the “House of Health and Work”. The goal of the pilot is to help citizens of Hamburg who are forced to cope with reduced incomes due to an illness or have been entirely left out of the labour market because of their condition.

How the “House” will function

The “House of Health and Work” is set to open its doors in July 2020 and will be managed by the jobs centre of Hamburg. Its premises will be a focal point of local authorities, employment agencies, job centres, health specialists and insurers and pension providers – all of them available in the same building, ready to assist those in need.

Each and every person visiting the “House of Health and Work” will be treated separately – every case will be examined on an individual basis, according to customer’s conditions and specific needs.

Dr. Melanie Leonhard, Senator for Labour and Social Affairs, commented: “We all need and want help on the jobs market. We are securing employment relationships by helping people in need of advice from start to finish. The ‘House of Health and Work’ will help many of Hamburg’s residents to remain successful in their professional lives.”

In terms of cost, this new service comes entirely free of charge to those who visit. Its goal is not to generate profit, but rather to help disadvantaged citizens of Hamburg who have fallen on hard times.

The people-oriented approach of the new centre will certainly lead to good results and improve the lives of many locals.