Unjust inflation bonus: pensioners go away empty -handed while officials collect!

Unjust inflation bonus: pensioners go away empty -handed while officials collect!

In October 2022, the Federal Government introduced an inflation bonus to support employees during the increasing cost of living. Pensioners now also learn that some of them can receive an inflation compensation of up to 3000 euros by the end of the year. This measure could be an important financial relief for numerous retired people in Germany.

However, the right to this money is not automatically given for all pensioners. The regulation was decided in a public service collective agreement, specifically for retired civil servants who are entitled to receive the inflation premium. The amount of the amount that retired officials receive depends on the applicable retirement content. However, all other pensioners who were employed in the state service remain without claiming this support.

Inadequate support for pensioners

As the figures of the Federal Statistical Office show, the financial situation of many pensioners in Germany is extremely tense. Over 40 percent, that is about 7.5 million people, live with less than 1,250 euros per month. For this reason, numerous interest associations, such as the social association VdK, are committed to more support. The association president Verena Bentele clearly speaks out for pensioners and demands that they should at least receive as much as retired civil servants.

A petition submitted on May 26, 2023 to achieve an increase for all pensioners is currently still on the exam. However, the progress of this initiative leaves something to be desired and has so far not produced any tangible results. The delays in processing the petition are frustrating for many affected seniors.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed that the implementation of such a regulation would be associated with considerable costs. At a citizens' dialogue in Rhineland-Palatinate, he subtracted the number of pensioners with the premium height and commented: "Well, calculate the number of millions of pensioners once-and then sit down very slowly." Scholz emphasized that this would cost the federal government around 63 million euros, which it described as a considerable amount.

In addition, the financial future of many pensioners in Germany is questioned by a study by the German Institute for Vermögenschildung and Ageverfstung (Diva). This study found that the annually rising pensions often cannot keep up with inflation, which leads to a serious loss of value for the pensioners concerned. The results of the investigation show that the pension increases between 2021 and 2023 mostly remain behind the general inflation rate. This gives rise to concern among pensioners and their representatives, since it underlines the need to fundamentally rethink pension regulations.