Pension ages: Risk for health and poverty in old age is increasing!

Pension ages: Risk for health and poverty in old age is increasing!

August 12 was once again declared in Austria as the "Pension Overhoot Day". This appointment should, loudly Ots, create media attention in the summer hole. Monika Kemperle, the Federal Pensionist: Interior chairman of the ÖGB, criticizes this representation as misleading. It indicates that the associated claims for a higher retirement age are not based on well -founded facts or reality on the labor market.

Kemperle emphasizes that many people have already retired in terms of health and an increase in the age of retirement increases the risk that those affected never experience their pensions or only sick. According to Kemperle, a third of the larger companies in Austria does not hire workers: inside over 60. This development could lead to more old -age poverty, longer unemployment and serious health problems.

Factual financing reality

The "Pension Overhoot Day" suggests that after this date the pensions are only financed from tax funds. In reality, according to Kemperle, the pensions are financed from stable, shared social security pots. In addition, she is calling for a re-evaluation, based on the reality of the so-called equal pension day, which took place on August 7. On this day it becomes clear that men already have as much pension as women only reach at the end of the year.

The average pension for women in Austria is 1,527 euros, while men receive an average of EUR 2,535. This leads to a significant pension gap of 39.7 percent, which corresponds to a monthly difference of 1,008 euros. Forecasts indicate that it could take over 100 years to close this pension difference if the current trend should continue. From January 1, 2024, the women's pension age will gradually increase from 60 to 65 years, which should bring further challenges.

The causes of poverty in old age

One reason for the low pensions in women is often involuntarily the frequent part -time work, of which over 50 percent of women are affected. Around 80,000 women want to increase their working hours, but cannot. Part -time work leads to lower pension claims, which increases the poverty in old age. In addition, many women outdo it from working life prematurely, often due to care or health problems.

There are several demands to improve the financial situation of women in old age. This includes the better crediting of child -rearing times and a legal claim to a full -time job. The negative ranking of the federal states shows that the differences in pension vary regionally, with women in Vorarlberg receiving 46.7 percent less pension than men.

In view of the current situation, Kemperle calls for a deeper responsibility of companies and society in order to counter the challenges of poverty in old age. The consideration of the impressive statistics on gender pensions, which among other things from Statistics Austria provided, a first step could be in the right direction.