As of: February 13, 2024, 6:31 p.m
By: Amy Walker
Comments
Press
Split
The pension can also be seized if debts are no longer paid.
But there are limits to ensuring the subsistence level.
Berlin – Anyone who no longer pays their debts - or can pay them - is threatened with so-called seizure.
A court then decides whether and how money or items can be confiscated by the state in order to pay off a debt.
Theoretically, anything can be seized, but the person must still have a minimum subsistence level.
The pension can also be seized within these limits.
Attachment of the pension is possible from the attachment exemption limit
When it comes to confiscating a private person's income, all of that person's income is first examined and added together.
Only amounts that are above the so-called seizure exemption limit will be seized.
This is an amount that is adjusted annually and reflects the legal subsistence minimum.
So anyone who has less than this amount per month in pension and other income can be sure that their pension will not be confiscated.
If the pension is above the seizure exemption limit, a certain portion can be deducted to settle the debt.
However, it also plays a role whether you still have to pay for dependents, such as spouses or children.
As the German pension insurance explains, only the part of the pension that exceeds the exemption limit can be seized.
Since July 1, 2023, the seizure exemption limit without dependents has been 1,409.99 euros.
For a person liable for maintenance, the limit is 1,939.99 euros.
Table: This is how much is confiscated from the pension
Exactly how much money can be seized per month based on what income is stipulated by law.
The entire seizure table is available here on the Ministry of Justice website, and there is also the seizure calculator from the Justice Portal NRW, which calculates exactly how much money can be confiscated each month.
Here is an excerpt from the table:
monthly pension |
0 maintenance persons |
1 maintenance obligation persons |
2 maintenance obligations persons |
|---|---|---|---|
1400 euros |
0 euros can be seized |
0 euros can be seized |
0 euros can be seized |
1500 Euro |
68.40 euros can be seized |
0 euros can be seized |
0 euros can be seized |
1800 euros |
278.40 euros can be seized |
0 euros can be seized |
0 euros can be seized |
2000 Euro |
418.40 euros can be seized |
34.98 euros can be seized |
0 euros can be seized |
2100 euros |
488.40 euros can be seized |
84.98 euros can be seized |
0 euros can be seized |
2300 euros |
628.40 euros can be seized |
184.98 euros can be seized |
30.38 euros can be seized |
Anyone who has income of over 4,298.81 euros per month can have their entire income seized.
For pensioners, the German pension insurance is responsible for determining the exact amount of the garnishment.
My news
Setback for Germany: Next company withdraws from its homeland read
“Citizen money is a crime against our children” – Hard traffic light billing
Pension increase in July: Anyone who can look forward to 7.5 percent more pension can read
Record wave of bankruptcies: Companies from key sectors are also affected by bankruptcies
“We won’t get out of the crisis with this economics minister”: Family businesswoman shoots against Habecklesen
Next bankruptcy in the fashion industry: shoe retailer from southern Germany is insolvent
Debt advice helps with financial problems
Given the high seizure exemption limit, it is unlikely for many pensioners that their pension will actually be seized.
On average, retirees receive a pension of 1,550 euros per month, which is just above the exemption limit.
On average, women only receive a statutory pension of 1,316 euros per month, well below the seizure exemption limit.
Anyone who is in financial difficulty can seek free debt and insolvency advice at any time.
This then supports the settlement of debts and can also reach out-of-court settlements so that there is no seizure.
Free advice is available in every German city, and those affected can increasingly also seek out virtual services.
More information for those affected can be found here.