Experts are sharply criticizing a proposal put forward by the Union party regarding the unimpaired pension after 45 years of contributions, noting that the move could restrict or eliminate the credit given to periods spent raising children or providing care, a change that would disproportionately affect women. Ruth Schüler, a pension specialist at the Institute of German Economy (IW Köln), stated to Funke-Medien that even under the existing rules, men currently benefit more from the possibility of receiving a tax-free pension after 45 insured years. If periods of childcare and caregiving are no longer counted, many women will find it increasingly difficult to meet the necessary requirements for an early, unrestricted pension.
Schüler further explained that such an adjustment would provide fiscal relief to the pension insurance fund far less substantially than if the pension for contributors with particularly long service were completely abolished. She stressed that the Age Security Commission’s reform package can only achieve its full intended effect if all of its recommendations are consistently adopted. Furthermore, she warned that making compromises on the pension for long-term contributors ultimately places a financial burden on both taxpayers and contributors.
Media reports indicate that within the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, discussions are underway regarding a new compromise approach in the context of the ongoing debate about the retirement age. This proposal suggests that the unimpaired pension after 45 contribution years would officially be maintained, yet future counting of periods such as childcare or caregiving would be reduced or eliminated.
