The number of pensioners in Germany relying on additional social assistance continues to rise. At the end of September, around 755,300 people were receiving the so-called basic security in old age, an increase of 6,000 since the end of June, according to figures from the Federal Statistical Office obtained by the BSW. This is the highest number ever recorded.
Over the past year, the number of seniors receiving basic security increased by 25,000. In the last four years, the total has risen by 30 percent; in September 2021, approximately 580,000 people received basic security in old age. Women are disproportionately affected. At the end of September this year, 428,685 women received basic security in old age, representing nearly 57 percent of all recipients.
People over 67 whose pension is insufficient to cover their living expenses are entitled to basic income support in old age. According to the Federal Statistical Office, around 19 million people aged 65 and over lived in Germany in 2024. BSW head Sahra Wagenknecht told AFP on Sunday, “It is a scandal that more and more pensioners are reliant on social assistance.” She added that old-age poverty is already a “mega problem” in Germany and will become even more significant for the currently younger generation.
“It is perfidious how generations are being played against each other in the pension debate,” Wagenknecht said. “At the same time, pension insurance contributions today are not higher, but lower than 20 years ago.” She continued, “We are proposing a pension package against old-age poverty, with a pension increase, contribution reduction, and tax exemption for pensions up to 2,000 euros.”
According to Wagenknecht, this would raise net pensions for all retirees by an average of around 200 euros per month. “To fund this, we want to increase the tax subsidy, which is lower as a share of GDP than it was 20 years ago, by 30 billion euros per year. This should be financed through cuts in the massively expanded military spending of recent years.”
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