Germany: More and more pensioners are dependent on basic security

More and more pensioners in Germany have to go to the social welfare office and are in danger of slipping into poverty in old age.

Berlin - This is the result of new figures from the Federal Statistical Office, about which the newspapers of the "Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland" report. According to this, the number of recipients of basic security in old age rose from 628,570 to 647,515 from June to September 2022 alone. That is 18,945 more people within three months.

Compared to September 2021, there are even 68,420 more people in the "age limit and older" category who had to apply for basic security, which corresponds to an increase of around twelve percent. "Poverty in old age is chasing from record to record," Dietmar Bartsch, the leader of the Left parliamentary group, criticized and added: "Twelve percent more since the federal election - the inflation comes to the social welfare office." Bartsch called the numbers "just the tip of the iceberg".

Millions of retirees would suffer from the current price explosion. "We need a consistent anti-inflation policy," demanded the parliamentary group leader. The prices for food and energy would have to fall, for example through "tightened price brakes and state price controls to prevent food and energy companies from collecting".

In this context, Bartsch brought up a top-level meeting on the subject of pensions: "We urgently need a pensions summit in the Chancellery," said the left-wing politician. "It is high time for a major pension reform in Germany. The pension must secure the standard of living and protect against poverty."

Source: Der Newsticker