Strange consequence of the pandemic: Because of Corona and Merkel, pensions will probably rise despite the crisis

More money despite the corona crisis?

Many seniors can look forward to an increase in their pension in the coming years.

Munich - The corona pandemic * is costing the German state billions.

And there will probably be more in the coming years.

But probably not because the lockdown * will be extended indefinitely, but because pensions will rise due to Corona.

The pensioners can look forward to increases in the billions - also thanks to Angela Merkel * (CDU).

Corona: An ups and downs in the economy ensure rising pensions

The economy is suffering from the corona lockdown. Many employees are on short-time work or have already been made redundant. And yet there is a pension increase? The reason for this is the so-called pension guarantee. Although wages have fallen by 2.3 percent according to the pension insurance, the pension does not follow suit. It cannot go down. When the crisis is over, however, wages will return to previous levels - which is seen as a wage increase. And so the pension rises, writes the

Because pensions have also been rising since 2018, even if wage increases only compensate for earlier reductions. The so-called “catch-up factor” was deleted from the pension at that time.

The Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy has

calculated

for the

that this pension increase will probably amount to around four billion euros in the coming year.

In the following years it will probably be three billion euros in the long term.

"Because of the catching-up factor that has been suspended, this will add up to almost 100 billion euros by 2050," said Professor Axel Börsch-Supan from the

Max Planck Institute

.

The figures are adjusted for inflation.

Corona: Merkel is sticking to the 2018 decision

In the opinion of some pension experts, this effect should actually be removed last year. But Chancellor Merkel refused to correct the pension formula. Now she is presented with the invoice for this decision. Criticism comes from the FDP * parliamentary group through the pension policy spokesman Johannes Vogel: “The federal government must reintroduce the catching-up factor. I am happy about every cent that pensioners have more in their pockets. At the same time, it is a question of fairness that wages and pensions move in

long term. ”