(de-news.net) – Federal Labor Minister Heil (SPD) has announced a social guarantee. He is not prepared to move away from the retirement age of 63, at this time. Heil said that “no services that are granted to citizens” by law will be reduced – even in times of crisis. However, there needs to be a discussion about “how well-targeted certain services are,” Heil narrowed down his statement.
The actual retirement age is currently 64.4 years because a significantly higher number of older people are in work, explained the minister. The statutory retirement age will be increased to 67 in a few years. But for the sake of fairness, anyone who has worked for over 45 years should still be able to retire at 64 or 65 without any deductions, said Heil, who also wants to create incentives for a flexible transition to retirement which would lead to more people work longer voluntarily.
The Federal Ministry of Finance had previously imposed spending restrictions and urged the ministries to submit savings proposals by mid-April. Compared to 2023, there is probably a double-digit billion amount less available in the federal budget.
Chancellor Scholz had previously expressed criticism of the fact that certain circles had called for a zero rate for pensioners, even though prices had risen sharply in 2023. The government’s pension package stabilizes pensions by setting a minimum level. One pillar is the new generational capital, which also relieves the burden on the younger generation, Scholz emphasized. People would be supported by the government who are fit at retirement age and are willing to continue to work. Anyone who enters their retirement pension early can earn unlimited additional money. But this is “every individual’s free decision,” concluded Scholz.
Federal Finance Minister Lindner believes that a later start to retirement is necessary in the near to medium term. The head of the FDP said that we would have to talk about “whether and under what conditions the working life needs to be extended”. A structural reform of all social security systems is a requirement, Lindner stated. The actual retirement age is currently 64, he confirmed. If the statutory retirement age is adjusted accordingly, this would already be a step, but individual retirement, which can be chosen voluntarily by employers, will also be discussed further among the Federal government in the years to come.
The German Federation of Trade Unions has meanwhile called for a perpetual guarantee for pension levels. The association’s chairwoman, Fahimi, criticized the fact that the traffic light coalition had secured the pension level “only until 2039.” Fahimi said that a permanent commitment to a pension level of 50 percent would also be appropriate and suggested that civil servants, self-employed people and politicians contribute to pension insurance in order to keep pensions stable.
