A senior’s union of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has called on the negotiators in the black-red coalition talks to improve the framework for caregivers in Germany. Both the current and future financial security of the caregivers must be taken into account, said Helge Benda, the chairman of the senior’s union, to the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Tuesday editions).
“Caring relatives do unpaid work that supports the system. It is time to give them a voice and financial security” he appealed to the Union and the Social Democratic Party.
As a precursor organization of the CDU in Germany, the senior’s union is advocating for caregivers to be tax-relieved and for the care allowance to be increased. “The current care allowance of up to 947 euros per month is not enough to cover the costs” said Benda to the RND.
Moreover, a pension adjustment is needed: “Someone who reduces their working life due to caregiving should not be punished with lower pensions.” Benda referred to data from the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), which shows that one in five caregivers of the elderly is at risk of poverty in old age.
The reason is that many of them are no longer able to work full-time because they have to care for their family members. With the reduced working hours, the pension contributions also decrease, which increases the risk of poverty in old age. Women, who account for about 70 percent of the home care for relatives, are particularly affected.
In addition to the above-mentioned expectations, the senior’s union also wants free care aids and flexible working time models for caregivers to be included in a black-red government program. Furthermore, they should also be considered in the topic of bureaucracy reduction, which the Union had wanted to tackle: “The application for the care grade must be simplified” the senior’s union demands.