Additional income allowed. According to the German press, Ursula von der Leyen’s bill provides for more flexible conditions to combine work and retirement for people on early retirement (Kombirente). Currently, pensioners who left the active life before they reached statutory retirement age can only add up to €400 to their pension – anything above this limit is deducted from their pension. Judging that this rule is too strict, the Minister wasn’t to allow, in the future, people on early retirement to earn as much as before they retired. The maximum amount allowed – combining pension and income – will be based on the best annual income received over the last 15 years. These more flexible conditions should only affect people aged at least 63 and who paid contributions for 35 years. So far, only severely disabled people were entitled. The Federation of German Employers (BDA), calling for a complete removal of restrictions, welcomed this draft. “The people concerned see the imposed limits as a ban to work. Besides, implementing them is tricky.” More critical, the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) said that this system didn’t solve the issue of retirement at 67. “Of course, the people concerned will be able to earn more than their old-age pension, but they will have to accept greater drops and will see their pension down by up to 14.4 percent” denounced Annelie Buntenbach, member of the DGB’s board.
e Federation of German Employers (BDA), calling for a complete removal of restrictions, welcomed this draft. “The people concerned see the imposed limits as a ban to work. Besides, implementing them is tricky.”
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