More and more pensioners in Saxony are dependent on the welfare state. While 17,835 senior citizens were still receiving basic old-age benefits in September 2023, the number had already risen to 19,300 one year later, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) announced, citing figures from the Federal Statistical Office. Compared to 2015, the number had almost doubled (11,340). The BSW had requested the figures from the Bundestag.
"Old-age poverty has reached a sad all-time high in Saxony. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, the number of unreported cases is probably much higher, as many senior citizens are ashamed not to apply for benefits," BSW head Sahra Wagenknecht told the German Press Agency. Germany has one of the weakest pension systems in Europe. The pension level is around ten percentage points below the EU average.
"That is why we are calling for a referendum on pensions. Germans should be given the opportunity to vote on the introduction of a pension based on the Austrian model," emphasized Wagenknecht. If a pensioner with long-term insurance in Austria receives an average of over 800 euros more per month, this should also be possible here in Germany.
