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The SPD and FDP express sharp criticism of the compromise on the basic pension.
Tanja Machalet, pension policy spokeswoman for the SPD, described the income test as “unnecessary effort”.
Berlin – Pension experts from the SPD and FDP have questioned the regular income test for basic pensions.
The SPD has always advocated that the basic pension is paid out if necessary without income or asset testing, said Tanja Machalet, pension policy spokeswoman for the SPD in the Bundestag, to the newspapers of the
Funke media group
on Wednesday (07 February).
The compromise had to be accepted in order to be able to pass a basic pension in the last black-red coalition.
“Unfortunately, the result is that the income test not only leads to unnecessary expense for pension insurance, but also creates problems for those who need the basic pension to live.”
Christian Lindner (l.), Robert Habeck (m.) and Olaf Scholz (r.) rarely agree at the moment.
© dpa
Anja Schulz: Basic pensions are too bureaucratic and involve high administrative costs
There is also criticism of the income test from the FDP.
“It is too bureaucratic, does not reach those who need it precisely and consumes horrendous administrative costs,” said Anja Schulz, pension policy spokeswoman for the FDP parliamentary group of the Funke media group.
Every fourth euro that is spent on the basic pension does not end up with the pensioners, but rather where the annual recalculation of the income credit takes place.
Basic pension should cover low earners: 1.1 million pensioners affected
The basic pension was introduced at the beginning of 2021 for people who have paid contributions to the pension fund for at least 33 years but earned below average wages.
It is a supplement to the pension.
According to figures from 2023, around 1.1 of the approximately 21 million pensioners will benefit from this.
The income verification takes place annually.
For the full surcharge, the monthly income as a pensioner can be a maximum of 1,375 euros for single people or 2,145 euros for married couples or life partners.
The taxable income, the tax-free part of the pension and capital gains are checked.
According to the Funke media group, numerous basic pension recipients reported to social and welfare associations at the beginning of the year that their salaries had been reduced following the income test.
(dpa)