Drohende Altersarmut – neue Aufgaben für die Rentenversicherung?

Abstract

Abstract The article gives an overview of the current development of old-age pover ty in Germany and classifies widely discussed concepts for the reform of statutory pension insurance. Although current indicators generally point to an increase in old-age poverty, the empirical data show no growth at present in poverty risk for persons aged 65 and older. However, it is expected that the income position of older people will be worsen due to the declining pension payments of new retirees and the increase in discontinuous employment trajectories as well as the insufficient spread in private old age provision. One of the reforms discussed for preventing rising poverty risks in old age is to consider life expectancy in the pension formula. This appears to be a promising means of reducing inequality within the group of pensioners. The implicit redistribution within the statutory pension system due to the empirically well-known correlation between living standards and life expectancy will decrease, and the equivalence principle can be strengthened.