As of: February 26, 2024, 12:32 p.m
By: Lisa Mayerhofer
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Pensioners have to prepare for changes: higher health insurance contributions and earlier pension payouts are due in March, among other things.
Munich – At the beginning of 2024, numerous innovations were introduced for pensioners.
March also brings some changes for retirees, although not all of them are positive.
Here is an overview.
Additional contributions also increase for pensioners in March
From March onwards, many pensioners will have to prepare for a slightly lower pension - but it is usually only a few euros less per month.
The reason for this is the increasing additional contributions from many health insurance companies.
Employees were already affected at the beginning of the year, but pensioners are required to pay the new additional contribution two months later than all other insured persons.
The German pension insurance then pays a lower pension than usual and passes on the required contributions to the respective health insurance company.
The additional contribution is added to the general contribution rate set by law and can vary from fund to fund.
Although the Federal Ministry of Health sets the average additional contribution for the coming year every autumn based on an expert estimate - for 2024 it is 1.7 percent - each health insurance company can determine the actual amount itself.
Some health insurance companies, such as the technicians, have nevertheless not increased their contributions.
From March onwards, many pensioners will have to prepare for a slightly lower pension.
(Symbolic image) © Patrick Pleul/dpa
Are you unsure whether you will be affected by the increases?
Don't worry, we have put together a list of health insurance companies with increasing additional contributions in a separate article.
Please note: If there is an increase, you have a special right of termination.
This allows you to change your health insurance provider within one month of the increase being announced.
Pension payments come earlier in March
Another change in March is more encouraging: the pension will be paid out a little earlier this month than usual - namely on Maundy Thursday, March 28th.
This is the earliest time in ten years.
The reason for this is the location of the Easter holidays this year.
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Since the pensions are always transferred on the last banking day of the month, Easter Sunday 2024 falls on March 31st, Easter Saturday is on March 30th and Good Friday is on March 29th - all public holidays on which the banks are closed.
Therefore, the pension is transferred on Maundy Thursday, a working day.
An exception are pensions, which are paid out in advance.
All pensioners who retired by March 2004 will receive this.
You will receive your pension for March on February 29, 2024. But everyone who has retired or will retire since April 2004 will always receive their pension at the end of the month.
Pension increase will be announced
In March it will finally be known how high the pension increase will be this year.
Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) wants to announce this this month, because so far there are only estimates.
Pensions are adjusted annually in the summer, taking into account wage developments in the country.
According to an official forecast, pensions are to be increased by 3.5 percent in 2024.
This emerges from the federal government's draft pension insurance report.
But there are also experts, such as the economist and pension expert Peter Knöppel, who assume more.
He expects a “mega pension increase” due to the current wage increases.