Employees who have worked all their lives and have earned little should receive a pension well above the Hartz IV level. That is the goal of the basic pension.
- The federal government decided on the basic pension in February.
- From 2021, the pensions * of around 1.3 million people with small salaries are to be improved, the idea is.
- The approval of the Bundestag and Bundesrat is still pending.
Basic pension planned from 2021 - but the Bundestag and Bundesrat still have to agree
Employees who have worked all their lives and have earned little should receive a pension * well above the Hartz IV level . The basic pension should ensure that. At least that's what the federal government decided in February. The approval of the Bundestag and Bundesrat is still pending. Starting in 2021, the pensions of around 1.3 million people with small benefits could be improved.
After lengthy discussions, the controversial basic pension on May 15 was put on the parliamentary path in the Bundestag. On the occasion of the first consultation of the law, supporters and opponents of the project clearly took a stand again. The SPD, unions and social organizations called for swift implementation. The economy, on the other hand, would like to see the project sunk. Different signals came from the government partner Union. Hesse's prime minister and CDU federal deputy Volker Bouffier questioned the basic pension, while other Union politicians assured the coalition partner SPD of contractual compliance.
But what exactly is the basic pension about? Read the most important answers here:
That is what the basic pension is about
The basic pension is intended for employees who have worked for little money for years , cared for relatives or raised children. From a purely mathematical point of view, they have a very small pension - and this should therefore be increased, according to the German Press Agency (dpa), according to the Ministry of Social Affairs, by an average of 75 euros gross per month. In individual cases, there could even be a gross surcharge of a good EUR 400. In the planned start year 2021, around 1.3 million people, including 70 percent women, will benefit, reports dpa. At least 33 years of contributions are required.
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Basic pension: costs and financing are disputed
The basic pension is to be financed from tax funds . For this purpose, a financial transaction tax - a tax on financial transactions - should actually be introduced that has not yet existed.
Basic pension: dispute on means test
Since the beginning, there has also been controversy about the "means test ". What is meant is a calculation of whether a potential basic pension recipient really needs the pension premium. The Union and SPD had agreed on this, the German press agency reported: It should not be the assets of a pensioner *, but his possible income next to the pension should be checked. Single pensioners should be allowed to earn 15,000 euros a year, partners 23,400 euros, without counting towards the basic pension, according to the draft law.
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Basic pension: There are these problems in practice
For the income check, the pension insurance needs the data from the tax authorities, where the tax assessment notices * of those concerned are located. You would have to set up a faster automatic data exchange for this. However, the time until January 1, 2021 is running out. In the meantime, it is said, that although the basic pension starts on January 1, the payment could take place later and retrospectively.
Read here : How much does it cost if you retire earlier - can you afford it?
Basic pension: what should happen now?
The political groups continue to negotiate in the committees. For final advice and coordination, the basic pension only comes back on the agenda when a compromise has been found, as dpa reports. The SPD demand that this happens before the summer break.
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ahu / dpa
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* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen central editorial network.