Number of pensioners on social assistance shoots up to record high
In Germany, an increasing number of pensioners are relying on social assistance in addition to their pension. According to BSW chief Wagenknecht, the traffic light government bears the responsibility and she speaks of a "poverty certificate" for the government. However, a regulatory change could also be a factor in the significant increase.
More and more seniors in Germany are additionally relying on social assistance in old age. According to statistics from the Federal Statistical Office, 719,330 pensioners received the so-called basic security in the first quarter of 2024. This is evident from the figures.
According to the data, this is a record high and an increase of approximately 35,000 compared to March 2023. Since 2015, there has been an increase of around 40 percent (511,915). BSW chief Sahra Wagenknecht told the paper: "The all-time high in pensioner poverty is the next poverty certificate for the traffic light." The development shows "that the German pension system is condemning many old people to degrading poverty."
A spokesperson for the German Pension Insurance explained at the beginning of March that the increase in pensioners receiving basic security was mainly due to the effects of a benefit cap regulation introduced with the basic pension in early 2021. The goal was to ensure that people with particularly low wages receive old-age benefits above the basic security level.
The traffic light government's responsibility is under scrutiny as the number of seniors relying on both pension and social assistance continues to rise in Germany. This trend is reflected in the record-breaking number of 719,330 pensioners receiving basic security in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of approximately 40% since 2015. The shift is partially attributed to a regulatory change in pension insurance designed to elevate old-age benefits for individuals with low wages.
