1 / 22

The German Pension System

The German Pension System. By Christoph Wenzinger, Tom Surgeon, Rebecca Hale, Pierre-Emmanuel Leng and Lizzie Simpson. Pension System: History. 1889: Invalidity and old-age insurance (Gesetzliche Rentenversicherung, GRV) 1.7% of wage, paid equally by employer and employee

nona
Download Presentation

The German Pension System

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The German Pension System By Christoph Wenzinger, Tom Surgeon, Rebecca Hale, Pierre-Emmanuel Leng and Lizzie Simpson

  2. Pension System: History • 1889: Invalidity and old-age insurance (Gesetzliche Rentenversicherung, GRV) • 1.7% of wage, paid equally by employer and employee • 1957: First big pension reform • Transition from „Kapitaldeckungsverfahren“ to „Umlageverfahren“ • „Kapitaldeckungsverfahren“: Contributions are accumulated  individual assets. Insurance payments are financed by contributions and interest on capital. • “Umlageverfahren”: Contributions are not saved, but spent immediately on financing actual pensions. (Generationenvertrag / contract between generations) • Key feature of the reform: adjustment of pensions to the general development of income (dynamische Rente / dynamic pension)

  3. Pension System: History II • 1992: lowering of pension payments • 2001: Introduction of the “Riester-Rente” (Walter Riester, SPD)(Amendment of the „Altersvermögensgesetz“ on 11 May 2001) • In addition to the “Gesetzliche Rentenversicherung (GRV)” that works according to the “Umlageverfahren” • Works according to the “Kapitaldeckungsverfahren” • Private retirement pension system, financial support from the state, voluntary

  4. What is a Pension? • ‘A regular payment that is intended to allow the saver to subsist without working at a later point in his or her life.’

  5. Comparison between German and English pension system • In England there are four common pension schemes • 1)Personal pension • 2)Stakeholder pension • 3)Company occupational pension • 4)Basic state pension (BSP)

  6. Germany • In Germany there is a Pay As You Go public pension system • Size of pension fund is derived from* • *sum of accumulated earning points • *the adjustment factor • *type of pension and its value

  7. Statistics to show differences in pensions for men and women • Under Schroeder’s government • Average man’s pension = €1015 • Average woman’s pension = €508 • (in Western Germany)

  8. Merkel’s Pension Reform • Induced by fewer workers having to support more retired people. • People are living longer and birth rates are in decline • 40% people between 55-65 years of age are still working-very low percentage!

  9. Action Taken • Aim to raise pension age from 65 to 67 • Encourage employers to offer defined contribution schemes. • Ultimately hope to decrease the cost of the pension bill in an ‘economically struggling Germany.’

  10. Schröders Government;How pensions affected the people Schröder's government is credited with implementing Agenda 2010; this agenda included the following; cuts in the social welfare system (national health insurance, unemployment payments, pensions), lowering taxes reforming regulations on employment and payment Consequences After 2002; SPD lost support due to the ‘third way’ combining the ordoliberal "social market" with neo-liberalism. It was considered by many people to be dismantling of the German welfare state!! High unemployment rate still remained a problem for Germany

  11. Under Merkels Government… • Appointment of Merkel; ‘the public was eager for the government to get to work after six months of political turmoil.’ • more pro-American outlook- similar pension system as Germany AIMS • One measure taken; raising the top income tax rate • increasing a value-added tax from 16 to 19 per cent. • VAT increase is being put off till 2007 • One problem; High labour costs • Economic investments e.g. increased parental leave benefits and research spending • Rise in retirement age to 67 and decrease in pensions • Perusal of ‘trusting relations’ with United states

  12. And for the part-time workers?

  13. In the EU • Part time employment = 18.5% of total employment in Europe • Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany = highest levels of part-time working • More than 2/3 chose a part-time work

  14. A good opportunity for old people • 1984: Trading banking and Insurance Trade Union (Gewerkschaft Handel, Banken und Versicherungen, HBV) • Part-timers must not be excluded from pension • 2000: 4th Euro Introduction Act (Euro–Einführungsgesetz) • block model with part-time working in old age

  15. A good opportunity for old people (contd.) • 2003 Third and Fourth Acts for Modern Services on the Labour Market: • People can work older with part-time jobs as on 1 July 2004 • 2004 Old-age Pensions Insurance Sustainability Act: • Increase of the age limit to 63 between 2006 and 2008

  16. But not only for old people • A lot of mothers are employed part-time due to care of children • Does not lead to unreasonable losses of pension entitlements • Conditions: • Child is 10 years old maximum • Where nursing care is provided • Special cases if more than 2 children • If employee earns less than 155€

  17. The Economy and Pensions • German Population getting older- but only work until 65- government stops receiving taxes and contributions • 2050: Worker: Pensioner ratio 2:1, today 5:4 • Schroeder: Agenda 2010: reform pension system • Need to discourage early retirement: • 50+ initiative

  18. The Economy cont… • 2003- State pension deficit of €2.8billion • Increase contributions rather than reduce benefits • 2030- German market for private and occupational pensions- 5 times that of today- €5trillion • Unemployment • 2003- 8.3% • 2005- 11.6% • Annual Growth -0.1% • Predicated to be below 1% next year • 2003- €10billion shortfall in pension insurance system

  19. Merkel Has Arrived… In order to deal with economic and pension crisis… • Raise interest rates • Increase VAT to 19% over next 2 years • Reduce level of unemployment • Increase age of retirement to 67 (discourage early retirement) • Create employment for over 50’s • Increase contributions • Encourage private pensions

  20. The Economy cont… • If these reforms not enforced, pensions set to account for 18% of GDP in near future • European level, Germany state pays relatively high amount into pension system • Predicted to rise by another 3%

  21. CONCLUSION… • Current PAYG system needs to be reformed otherwise the state will not be able to fund it • Need more uniformed system • Arrival of the new Chancellor- Angela Merkel gives rise to new hope for a swift and affective pension reform

More Related