2024-03-18 12:03:56
In view of the upcoming National Council elections, the Senior Citizens Council wants to make efforts to adjust pensions for 2025. A request has already been made for a conversation with Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens), said Seniors Council President Peter Kostelka (SPÖ-affiliated Pensioners’ Association) and Ingrid Korosec (ÖVP Senior Citizens’ Association) at a press conference on Monday. They want to take action once morest age discrimination through digitalization; a round table is being planned.
This year pensions rose by 9.7 percent due to high inflation. The upcoming National Council elections in the fall and the election campaign would make discussions regarding the next pension adjustment necessary now, said Korosec and Kostelka, who insisted that the current government find a solution. After all, it would usually take months until a new government is formed. By the likely election date at the end of September, the inflation values for calculating the pension adjustment would have been available for almost two months.
It is also necessary to increase the actual retirement age – for example through age-appropriate workplace design or the expansion of company health care. Austria does not have a problem with the statutory retirement age, but with the actual one, said Korosec. Only 56.4 percent of 55 to 64 year olds work, the OECD average is 64.6 percent. In addition, it must become more attractive to voluntarily work longer hours. Anyone who works beyond the standard retirement age can receive a pension supplement of 5.1 percent for a maximum of three years – the bonus was recently increased, but might be increased further, according to Korosec.
The senior citizens’ council presidents see their peers as being discriminated once morest by digitalization. As an example, Korosec cited the repair bonus, which can only be applied for digitally. Those who do not have access to the Internet should not be considered second-class citizens, complained Kostelka. There was criticism of Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens), who rejected a request that such bonuses might also be applied for in a similar way in a letter to the Senior Citizens’ Council. He is now planning a round table with experts to deal with age discrimination.
The senior citizens’ representatives are also calling for the abolition of the currently suspended aliquoting of the first pension adjustment. This means that the amount of the adjustment in the first full year of retirement depends on the month in which you start your pension – the later in the year you retire, the smaller the increase will be in the following year. After a complaint from the SPÖ and FPÖ, among others, the Constitutional Court (VfGH) declared the regulation to be constitutional last year. In 2025, however, the protective clause should remain – if necessary – demanded Korosec. This was intended to prevent a loss in value for this year’s pensioners.
Kostelka called for a comprehensive care reform, which is still pending. He wants a right to care in the constitution. The income limit for funding 24-hour care also needs to be increased, which has been 2,500 euros since 2007 despite inflation. The relative bonus is also needed at care level three, not just at care level four.
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