Germany: State seeks nearly 300 million euros in COVID-19 aid repayments

Companies in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein are still grappling with the financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 300 million euros in outstanding claims for government aid. The Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein (IB.SH) reports that approximately 293 million euros in repayments are still pending from various relief programs.

Initially, the IB.SH disbursed around 468 million euros in immediate COVID-19 aid, stemming from roughly 56,000 applications. To date, repayments have been sought from about 46,000 recipients, totaling around 360 million euros. Of this, approximately 200 million euros has been returned. The bank is currently managing around 3,600 objection proceedings and has faced 72 lawsuits, none of which have been successful, according to the IB.SH.

Beyond the immediate aid, the IB.SH also provided about 60 million euros in restart grants, of which 22 million euros were subsequently reclaimed, with 11 million euros already repaid. Additionally, over 1.7 billion euros were distributed as bridging, November, and December aid. The outstanding claims for these programs amount to nearly 184 million euros, with 122 million euros still to be recovered. The bank offers deferral options of up to 36 months and flexible repayment plans, allowing for payments to be spread over the coming years.