The upper house of the German parliament has blocked a government bill aimed at providing a basic income to certain categories of people currently drawing unemployment benefits.
The Bundesrat, the members of which were drawn from the 16 states, on Monday, rejected the measure, dubbed Bürgergeld at a special session in Berlin.
It prevented it from taking effect from the start of 2023 as planned by the centre-left coalition government.
The opposition conservative parties opposed the measure, which would replace unemployment benefits paid out to the long-term jobless, known in Germany as Hartz IV.
Employment Minister Hubertus Heil, is a member of the Social Democrats (SPD), the largest party in the three-way coalition.
It had announced before the Bundesrat vote that the government would call on the committee that mediated between the two houses of parliament, with a view to finding a compromise.
The measure has to be approved by the end of November if it would go into force at the start of 2023.
While accepting a rise in the basic long-term jobless benefit, opposition parties were blocking moves to ease pressures on the jobless to find work during the first six months of unemployment.
They also objected to the levels of assets and size of homes to be permitted for recipients. (dpa/NAN)