The cdu’s compromise proposal on the basic pension meets with rejection from the SPD.
"His proposal is not convincing," SPD secretary-general lars klingbeil told the deutsche presse agency, referring to a concept put forward by the chairman of the christian-demokratische arbeitnehmerschaft (CDA), karl-josef laumann. Social minister "hubertus heil will present a bill for the basic pension that recognizes the life achievements of millions of germans. But it can’t be about almoses, as the union obviously imagines it."
In the dispute over the introduction of a basic pension for low-income earners who have paid contributions for many years, the CDU labor wing has come forward with a compromise proposal. CDU social politicians also insist on the controversial "bedurftigkeitsprufung", but this is to be less extensive than originally planned. Only the current income of a household should be tested, but not the assets or the size of the apartment, said CDA leader laumann to the editorial network germany.
On the other hand, a basic pension without any requirement for a pension and without taking into account any higher partner income is unjust. "We can’t pretend that it doesn’t make a difference whether a couple receives a very good pension and a small one, or two very small pensions," said laumann.
"Our model would cost 500 to 800 million euros a year," says the social minister of north rhine-westphalia. At least half a million people could benefit from this directly. Laumann conceded that the assessment of the income had to be carried out by the basic security office. According to laumann, the first point of contact for people is the pension insurance company, which is also supposed to pay out the basic pension.
In their coalition agreement, the CDU/CSU and the SPD had agreed that "the prerequisite for receiving the basic pension is a qualifying condition in accordance with the basic social security system"." This also takes into account cash, securities, savings, house and real estate assets.
Plans for automatic pension supplements for low-income earners who have paid contributions for at least 35 years. Also part-time work, child-rearing and care periods pay. Those with pensions of less than 896 euros would receive a monthly supplement of up to 447 euros, as proposed by social minister heil. He plans, contrary to what was agreed, a basic pension without means-tested, so that three to four million people could benefit from it. This has been estimated to cost a mid-single-digit billion euro amount per year.
However, CDU chairwoman annegret kramp-karrenbauer has ruled out "the possibility of the union agreeing to a basic pension that does not include any form of means-testing. SPD leader andrea nahles has replied: "the SPD wants a basic pension to combat old-age poverty that lives up to its name. We will obviously have to wrestle hard with the coalition partner to find a solution." Klingbeil declared on saturday: "annegret kramp-karrenbauer’s categorical no is apparently already off the table again, as mr. Laumann’s concept shows."