North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister for Labour and Social Affairs, Karl-Josef Laumann, has called for a reassessment of Germany’s pension system, advocating for a cohesive approach to both statutory pensions and civil service pensions. In comments published recently, Laumann asserted that any alteration to the age at which individuals begin receiving statutory pensions should also be reflected in adjustments to the age of retirement for civil servants. Similarly, he argued that changes to the level of statutory pensions necessitate corresponding changes to civil service pension payments.
While acknowledging the inherent differences between the two systems, Laumann highlighted the disparity in benefit levels, noting that the standard statutory pension currently provides approximately 48 percent of previous earnings, while civil service pensions average around 20 percentage points higher.
Regarding the ongoing debate surrounding the retirement age, Laumann distanced himself from proposals for raising it significantly, specifically criticizing suggestions for a retirement age of 70. He expressed frustration with advocates of such proposals who, he claims, often do not reflect the realities faced by those who entered the workforce at a younger age.
Laumann pointed out that Germany already has a relatively high retirement age compared to many other European nations. Emphasizing the importance of fairness, he stated the need to offer opportunities for early retirement to those who began working at a young age. Furthermore, he dismissed the notion that Germany’s pension system provides excessively generous benefits.