The minimal personal contribution that residents must pay for nursing homes, known as the facility-level personal contribution, is slightly lower than the average pension payout-meaning the portion of the pension that actually reaches retirees. This information comes from the Federal Ministry of Health’s response to an inquiry from the Left faction, which the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” reported on. According to the ministry, the facility-level personal contribution was 920 euros in 2024, while the pension payout in the same year amounted to 1,154 euros. Furthermore, this contribution is expected to increase, rising to 1,028 euros in 2025 and 1,104 euros in 2026, according to the reply. However, the actual out-of-pocket cost for a nursing home spot that individuals must cover is considerably higher, averaging 3,245 euros per month recently. In its response, the health ministry stated that one cannot generally conclude a low retirement income from a low rate pension in the statutory pension insurance, as this does not take into account other forms of retirement income or the household context. It added that those on low pensions often have claims under other security systems for which the German Pension Insurance statistics do not have information. Evelyn Schötz, the spokesperson for the Left faction in the Bundestag for care and mental health, told RND, “Nursing needs deplete the pension-and empty any savings account in no time. People are driven into poverty against their will”. She criticized the government for not addressing the problem decisively, instead employing “sleight-of-hand tricks” and presenting sanitized figures. She concluded: “The solution is obvious: the personal contributions must be lowered by having the costs of care completely covered by a comprehensive care insurance. This is financially feasible by removing the contribution cap for the wealthy, incorporating rents and returns, and having everyone contribute-including Members of the Bundestag and civil servants”.
Politics
