As of: January 29, 2024, 6:06 a.m
By: Sandra Sporer
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For some people, retirement is coming up in February.
There are also some other changes that are relevant for consumers - for example when purchasing medication.
Frankfurt – In addition to your salary, how much money you have available depends primarily on how high your expenses are, for example for insurance, rent and other ongoing costs.
In February 2024, some changes that affect this will come into effect.
Music streaming service Spotify, for example, is increasing its fees.
The changes at a glance:
Deadline for approval of Spotify's price increase ends
Retirement for some age groups
The price of electricity fed in from solar systems is falling
New regulation of additional payments in pharmacies
New regulation for substitute imprisonment
Digital Service Act now applies to all digital services
Consumers have to agree to the Spotify price increase by the end of February
Spotify had already announced a price increase in autumn 2023.
The deadline by which customers must agree to the price increase expires at the end of February.
If this does not happen, the account will be reverted to the free version of Spotify with ads and limited use.
These employees can retire in February 2024
For some employees, retirement is due in February.
All people born between January 2, 1958 and February 1, 1958 can claim the standard old-age pension without deductions.
Anyone who would like to apply for an old-age pension for the severely disabled and was born between May 2, 1962 and June 1, 1962 can retire in February with a discount of 10.8 percent.
Some workers will retire in February.
But there are also some changes coming this month for many other consumers.
(Symbolic image) © Uwe Umstätter/IMAGO
In addition, for the first time, those born between January 2, 1961 and February 1, 1961 can claim the pension for long-term insured persons.
With a waiting period of 35 years, this is possible with a deduction of 12.6 percent of the regular pension, while with a waiting period of 45 years, the pension can be withdrawn without a deduction.
For many people, however, even a full pension is not enough to survive - Green Party leader Ricarda Lang unintentionally made this clear.
And then the debate was restarted.
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Changes in the remuneration for solar power feed-in means less money for consumers
February also brings a change for all owners of a solar system - the compensation rate for feeding in solar power will be reduced.
The previous compensation rate was 8.2 cents.
As the consumer advice center reports, this rate will be reduced to 8.11 cents for systems up to 10 kWp from next month.
For systems with an output of more than 10 kWp, everything over 10 kWp is paid 7.03 cents per kilowatt hour.
In contrast, another environmental subsidy has recently been abolished;
possibly with dire consequences for the e-car industry.
Co-payment for medication is simplified
Another innovation concerns the purchase of medication in the pharmacy.
There will be changes to the additional payments, which are to be simplified by a new legal regulation.
In the future, the additional payment will be based on the pack size, so that the additional payment for two small packs corresponds to that of one large pack with the same amount of contents.
Jail instead of a fine – the calculation of the length of imprisonment for substitute prison sentences will change in February
The change to the substitute prison sentence was originally supposed to take effect in October 2023.
However, as
Focus
reports, implementation was delayed due to an unexpectedly long IT changeover.
The changeover has now been completed and the new regulation will take effect from February.
It concerns the conversion of the fine into days of imprisonment.
Anyone who cannot pay a fine must instead serve a substitute prison sentence.
There will be an important change in the calculation of detention days in February 2024.
(Symbolbfoto) © Frank Molter/dpa/Symbolbild
Previously, one daily rate corresponded to one day in prison.
In the future, however, two daily rates will be converted into one day of detention, as the Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJ) announced.
“This change aims to halve the duration of substitute prison sentences actually carried out, as their execution generally cannot contribute to the resocialization of those affected,” said the ministry.
Further change in February 2024: Digital Service Act is intended to strengthen consumer rights online
The Digital Service Act, which has applied to major online platforms and search engines since August 2023, will be expanded to all digital services in February.
It is intended to make it easier to report illegal content and general user complaints.
In addition, the DSA brings with it strict data protection rules.
This includes, among other things, that sensitive data may no longer be used for advertising purposes and advertising that is specifically aimed at minors is prohibited.
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