Ulla Schmidt, Chairwoman of Lebenshilfe and a former federal Minister for Health (SPD), has advocated for raising the retirement age. Speaking to the news portal T-Online, she stated that discussing a higher retirement age is not a taboo topic; on the contrary, she believes that an increased retirement age and greater incentives to work longer are crucial foundation elements. However, she stressed the importance of how society addresses those individuals who are unable to work longer. According to Schmidt, the federal government must not neglect this group, and the disability retirement benefits must be structured to ensure those who cannot continue working are adequately protected.
Schmidt also called for linking tax and care reforms together. The SPD politician argued that many family policy benefits are financed through social insurance funds, even though they should properly be paid out of tax revenue. To correct this, she demands a tax reform that funds these tasks on a more equitable basis, which would significantly alleviate certain financial issues. Furthermore, the six billion euros that the long-term care insurance requires for such services could be addressed through alternative financing.
She argued that there must be a fundamental question regarding who is responsible for funding specific benefits. “Family policy responsibilities should not be paid solely through contributions, but through taxes-so that everyone participates. The long-term care insurance system is also not ideal,” she said. Questioning the existence of differing systems, she proposed combining funds for common tasks. She recommended that both legally and privately insured persons should have identical claims under long-term care. Instead of cutting benefits for those who need care, all contributions should be transferred into a single care fund, which would then be used to support necessary infrastructure, wage standards, and other shared responsibilities.
As an initial step, she suggested consolidating the contribution income from long-term care insurance. Schmidt explained, “Everyone has the same claim to benefits, the same need for good infrastructure, and the same right to qualified staff. Therefore, it makes sense to manage this together. Some people can keep their existing insurance, and others can keep theirs, but the benefits are financed jointly.” She added that this could be implemented through a vote in the Bundestag without even necessitating a fundamental amendment to the Basic Law.
