Former civil servants receive an average pension of more than 3,000 euros per month. On the other hand, more than half of the pensioners are paid less than 1,000 euros, as officially confirmed by the federal government. The Left Party is now demanding an end to the two-class society.
Just over half of pensioners receive less than 1,000 euros from the pension fund every month. This is the federal government’s answer to a request from the Left Party, which was submitted to the “Augsburger Allgemeine” (Monday edition). The situation is different for former civil servants: After only five years of service, the state pays a minimum gross pension of 1800 euros. The average pensioner has a gross pension of 1600 euros – but after 45 years of work.
The civil servants are financially much better off in old age. On average, they receive a gross pension of around 3,200 euros per month. However, taxes and health insurance contributions are deducted from the sum. During their working life, they also enjoyed the privilege of not having to pay into a pension fund.
“At the end of a long working life there is a two-class society in old age,” complained Dietmar Bartsch, leader of the Left parliamentary group, in an interview with the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. The pension needs a general overhaul in order to be able to secure the standard of living in old age.
“It is not the pensions that are too high on average, but the pensions that are too low.” Bartsch demanded that the minimum pension be 1,200 euros net. To improve the situation of pensioners, the left-wing politician demands that the pension level be raised to 53 percent as a first step. “In another, old-age security should be put on a new foundation: A pension fund for all workers,” says the parliamentary group leader. The self-employed, managers and civil servants would then also have to pay in.
The proposal is one of several ideas on how the pension system can be stabilized in the face of an aging society. Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil (SPD) wants to stabilize the pension level by building up a share reserve, for example.
