Status: 15/01/2024, 22:37 PM
By: Bjarne Kommnick
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Those who pay into the pension fund for a long time will benefit from it in old age. But due to a need for care, a couple got into financial trouble.
Munich – Many people have the goal of being financially secure in old age. That's what a couple from Baden-Württemberg thought and paid into the social security system together for more than 100 years. It is true that pensioners in general can look forward to rising pensions in 2024. But the retired couple was temporarily in great financial distress because the woman had become in need of care. What this means for the couple's lives, her husband described.
Pensioners in a worse position than recipients of citizens' allowance after long-term care
The 86-year-old pensioner described focus.de the time when his wife had to move into the nursing home: "I hoped until the end that it wouldn't come to that. They'll leave you a few hundred euros, I said to myself. So much, at least, to make ends meet." But his fears became reality. For the costs of care alone, such as nursing home costs, the couple had to pay more per month than their income would allow. However, it was only recently that pension cuts were discussed.
Many married couples in Germany are struggling with financial problems despite many years of contributions to the pension fund. (Symbol) © Sebastian Kahnert/dpa
The pensioner explained: "I don't need to say what 3300 euros in expenses mean when you have a pension of 3000 euros." And added: "Only for room and food, no special requests. And the care allowance (care level 4) has already been deducted."
"The account was empty": Couple struggles with financial problems since the woman's need for care
The couple had actually lived in such a way that such a situation should not occur. "We have been diligent all our lives and at the same time very frugal," says the 86-year-old. All the money had flowed into the family's home, as well as into reserves "for later, as security. If one of us got sick, we had something on the high side, we thought," said the pensioner.
For a long time, he had taken care of his demented wife. However, even on the advice of his children, he had "given them to a nursing home with a heavy heart" two years ago. This was followed not only by an emotional farewell to a familiar everyday life, but also by a financial turnaround. "Until recently, I had taken it for granted to take the money for shopping in the supermarket out of my account. Since the home bill was settled, this was no longer possible, the account was empty."
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"A hundred years of paid in, and now this": Pensioners worse off than recipients of citizens' allowance
The man explained that the saved assets would last about a year before they were used up. "I would be a welfare case. For a hundred years, my wife and I had paid into this system together, and now this," the pensioner said. In view of this situation, he is now in a worse position than recipients of citizens' money, who would receive a significantly larger "protective asset" in a similar situation. "Someone who receives aid is now allowed to keep 40,000 euros. A married couple like us, on the other hand, is only allowed 10,000 euros per person."
What is a "protective asset"?
Protected assets refer to assets or parts of assets that are not taken into account when determining financial entitlements to support benefits such as Hartz IV or social assistance – and are therefore protected. In this context, it must be clarified whether and to what extent the applicant has realisable assets that can be used to secure his or her livelihood.
In principle, realisable assets are all assets that can be used to cover one's own livelihood or the livelihood of persons living with the applicant in a community of need. These include, for example, cash, securities, real estate or motor vehicles. (Source: juraforum.de)
His attempts to address politicians of the federal government with letters all remained unanswered with a standard letter. "No one has been able to give me a reason for the shameful injustice in the matter of citizens' money and savings." In addition to financial pressure, lack of dignity and fear of the future, the pensioner also had to struggle more and more with anger.
He explained: "I don't want to know how all this would have gone on if there hadn't been this ray of hope completely unexpectedly." For the time being, the two pensioners have been freed from their predicament. "Thanks to new, different medications, my wife has been feeling better for a few weeks," which is why she is currently able to live at home again. Regardless of how long this state of affairs remains, the couple will not get back the money they have saved. (bk)