Protest by pensioners: Higher health contributions outrage seniors!

Protest by pensioners: Higher health contributions outrage seniors!

The new federal government has surprisingly decided to increase health insurance contributions for pensioners from the current 5.1% to 6% from June 1, 2025. Loud Finanz.at This means an annual burden of around 500 million euros. This increase, which will result in less net pension for many, is meeting with considerable resistance. The Austrian Senior Citizens' Council expressed sharp criticism at a meeting on March 10, 2025 and described the measures as anti-social. The background to this decision remains particularly explosive: the senior citizens' council was not consulted in advance and is now calling for the increase to be canceled or at least limited in time.

Monetary impact on pensions

By increasing health insurance contributions, men's net pension will decrease: instead of an average of 2,042.37 euros net per month, they will have to make do with 2,029.32 euros in the future - a loss of 182.56 euros per year.Women who already receive a lower average pension face even greater losses. Your net amount drops from 1,570.98 euros to 1,558.98 euros, which corresponds to an annual loss of 168.14 euros.How the Austrian Senior Citizens Council states, an increase of 0.9 percent means a massive cost increase of 17.6 percent for pensioners who have already paid high contributions to health insurance during their working years.

This increase comes in the context of further government measures, including the possible increase in the retirement age and the reintroduction of aliquoting, which could further strain the financial situation of pensioners. The discussion about the adjustments will certainly gain momentum as the Seniors Council strives for better representation and a say in decision-making bodies.