Status: 16.01.2024, 19:06 PM
By: Robert Wallenhauer
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After the traffic light wants to cut the federal subsidy for pension insurance, there is a hail of criticism. Pensioners will suffer from the austerity measures, criticises VDK President Verena Bentele.
Frankfurt - The traffic light government decided in December: The federal government's subsidy for pension insurance in 2024 is to be cut by 600 million euros. The reason for this was necessary savings in the federal budget due to the budget ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court. The pension increase in 2024 is not in danger as a result. Nevertheless, there is a hail of criticism for the decision - including from the president of the social association VDK Germany, Verena Bentele.
"By reaching into the pension fund, the federal government is becoming a repeat offender against its better judgment," Bentele writes in a guest article for the Frankfurter Rundschau. The government is using the statutory pension fund "as a kind of self-service shop" to finance austerity measures. "In the long term, the pension fund will be missing at least five billion euros as a result," says Bentele.
Verena Bentele from the VdK social association is one of the critics of the IMAGO citizens' allowance reform ©
Due to traffic light decision: Pension contributions could rise
"In the end, employees with higher contributions and pensioners with small pension increases will have to pay for the underfunding," Bentele continues: "What is certain is that the first expert will soon propose raising the retirement age as a solution to the problem."
The pension insurance has already announced that contributions could rise earlier than previously assumed. This is because a reduction in subsidies would result in a faster reduction of the pension fund's reserve, the so-called sustainability reserve: "In order to replenish the sustainability reserve, the contribution rate to the pension insurance must be raised earlier than previously planned," the insurance company said. The president of the pension insurance, Gundula Roßbach, criticizes the planned reduction of subsidies: "This is not reliable financing."
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VDK President Bentele calls for new pension package
Before the traffic light decided to cut the pension subsidy, some economists were in favor of savings in pensions. "In principle, savings in pensions are possible," said Veronika Grimm, an economist, to the newspapers of the Funke media group. "For example, the pension from 63 or the mother's pension could be put up for discussion. And when it comes to adjusting existing pensions, fewer increases could be envisaged." At the same time, however, Grimm warned against quick fixes. There is also potential for savings in subsidies for companies and households as part of the heating subsidy, said Grimm.
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In her guest article, VDK President Bentele calls for a quick conclusion of the pension package II, "with a pension level of 53 percent and a solid financing concept." In addition, according to Bentele, "the self-employed, members of parliament and civil servants should also be allowed to participate in this new concept, not only through their taxes."
(with material from dpa and AFP)
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