Pension and care | Employment insurance as an “ideal picture”

When it comes to plans for elderly care, the “worst of the bad regulations” is off the table for the time being. Photo: Imago/Photothek/Ute Grabowsky In June, a commission presented 33 proposed changes to pensions. The federal government described this as a “total work of art” and initially announced that it would implement everything. In fact, the Commission's proposals are "not a coherent package," emphasizes Bremen social researcher Frank Nullmeier. Rather, demands from different directions would be combined. On the one hand, the committee recommends setting up a “capital pension”. On the other hand, she calls uniform employment insurance an “ideal picture” and suggests initially including self-employed people, members of the Bundestag and state parliament, and board members of stock corporations in statutory pension insurance.

The demand to abolish the pension without deductions after 45 years of contributions is currently particularly controversial. Trade unions in particular also criticize the fact that partial retirement should only be possible from the age of 58 and that the block model should be abolished. With this model, people initially continue to work as usual and then no longer work at all during the release phase. The Ministry of Social Affairs is currently working on a draft bill that will implement at least individual suggestions.

When it comes to care, the hardliner when it comes to social cuts, Carsten Linnemann, has announced that he does not want to implement one of the planned cuts: he does not want to reduce the pension entitlements for caring relatives, said the new CDU health minister at the end of August. This project in particular was particularly strongly rejected. This is the worst of the “bad regulations,” said health economist Heinz Rothgang.

Which is to say: According to social researchers, the Health Ministry's draft bill from June has further weaknesses. For example, it should become more difficult to be classified as needing care and thus be entitled to benefits. Overall, it can be said that politicians have improved care for a few years, for example for people with mental disabilities. Now we need to save again. After all, there are also plans to increase the contribution assessment limit, which would mean that higher earners would be able to participate a little more in financing care. It is still unclear when the cabinet will deal with the changes. This was actually supposed to happen on June 24th.

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