Before the official presentation of the Union’s election program, social organizations have criticized the pension plans and raised open questions. “The Union’s proposals for pension policy leave many questions open and show that the challenges of a just old-age provision are not adequately addressed” said the chair of the German Social Federation (SoVD), Michaela Engelmeier, to the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Tuesday editions).
“The decision not to increase the retirement age is basically right, but it’s striking that the Union doesn’t mention the retirement level at all. That’s exactly what’s decisive to limit the decline in pensions and thus growing old-age poverty.”
The Union demands the introduction of a so-called active pension and states that it will not increase the statutory retirement age. CDU and CSU do not commit themselves in the program to a specific level of the retirement pension, but say it should “remain stable.” Additionally, the Union wants to introduce a “pre-retirement pension” – an individual and capital-backed private old-age provision.
VdK chief Verena Bentele told RND: “Positive is that the CDU holds to the previous age limits at the rule retirement age and the tax-free pension after 45 years of contributions.” Unclear is so far, how the Union will support people who, due to unemployment, illness, or care obligations, do not work until the rule retirement age, added Bentele.
Criticism of the “pre-retirement pension” proposal came from the Paritarian Federation. “The early start pension proposed in the Union’s program would be the state-financed entry into the privatization of old-age security. That would be a bet on a distant future, not a contribution to the solution of present challenges” said the main executive Joachim Rock to RND.