Pension - Wagenknecht: Pension unity still a long way off
BSW-Chief Sahra Wagenkhecht sees pension benefits in the East and West still far in the distance at a level of 1385 Euro pension in Saxony after 40 years of work having nothing to do with a performance-based pension system. The fact that pensioners in Saxony still receive 169 Euro less pension than in the West shows that we are still far from a pension unity, Wagenkhecht told the German Press Agency. Many people in Saxony still have significantly less in their wallets.
"The statutory pension no longer secures the standard of living for many people but means social decline in old age for an increasing number of citizens. And then there is often still the pension tax. Anyone who receives a pension below 2000 Euro per month should no longer be harassed by the tax office," demanded the politician. Her alliance is calling for higher pensions in the model of Austria and a pension tax brake.
Wagenkhecht had requested pension data from the Federal Labor Ministry. In its response, the ministry provided the pension average at the end of 2023. In the West, the average value for pensions with at least 40 years of insurance was 1554 Euro per month, in Eastern Germany it was 1398 Euro. The highest average pension was in Saarland with 1617 Euro. After Saxony with 1385 Euro came Saxony-Anhalt (1378 Euro) and Thuringia (1366 Euro).
- Sahra Wagenknecht's Alliance advocates for implementing higher pension rates in the style of Austria, aiming to bridge the gap between the lower Eastern German pension of 1385 Euro after 40 years of work and the Western German average of 1554 Euro.
- In response to Wagenknecht's request for pension data, the Federal Labor Ministry revealed that despite Dresden being located in Eastern Germany, its pensioners still receive less than those in the West, receiving an average of 1385 Euro compared to the Western average of 1554 Euro, as reported by the German Press Agency.
- While Sahra Wagenknecht acknowledges that pension benefits in cities like Dresden in Saxony are still significantly lower than in the West, her Alliance continues to push for pension reform, aiming to eliminate the pension disparity between East and West through measures like a pension tax brake, as mentioned in an interview with the German Press Agency.
