"Poor" German pensioners
In Germany, many pensioners have to earn extra money
Anna Roze, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, 12.06.2013
In Germany, every second of the 14.2 million old-age pensioners receives less than 700 euros per month. So, at least, according to new statistical studies of the German Pension Insurance Union. This amount is less than the national average cost of living. It turns out that more than seven million German old men are forced to collect bottles and beg?
In fact, more than 800 thousand German pensioners are actively working part-time, having the right to receive no more than 450 euros per month, which are not taxed. According to the German Institute of Economics, over the past decade the number of working pensioners has almost doubled, half of the old people work as individual entrepreneurs.
As the representative of the insurance union Andreas Feuser told RG, there are not so many real poor among German pensioners – about two percent. They receive additional social assistance from the state. Of course, their life is not so rosy.
Basically, this age group is better organized than the youth. Statistics do not take into account, for example, many widowed housewives over the age of 65. Usually, they receive their husband's pension in addition to their own for the rest of their lives. Many pensioners have accumulated substantial property, many have cozy houses and cars. Along with the standard of living, their demands have also increased. In order to travel, dress well, eat in restaurants and generally actively relax, pensioners are ready to earn extra money.
Although salaried workers in Germany must leave their workplace upon reaching retirement age, not everyone does it voluntarily. Since the average life expectancy in Germany is about 80 years for women and 75 years for men, the threshold of active working age has also risen. As the representative of the German Labor Agency Paul Ebsen told RG, many people cannot live without work after retirement and are simply terrified of being thrown out of public life. Therefore, the introduction of the retirement age of 67 for both sexes has not faced any particular protests in the country.
In addition, the German government has made the transition smooth: the retirement age will increase gradually for several months, depending on the year of birth of the worker, and only in 2031, Germans born in 1964 will be the first to retire at exactly 67 years old.
MeanwhilePensioners earn extra money not only for themselves.
The increased childbearing age of women has led to the fact that many at the age of 65 still have children-students or even schoolchildren. And they also need to be provided. So the grandfathers are driving a taxi, and the grandmothers are selling flowers and buns.
However, old people will not become rich in this way: in Germany, in addition to a pension, you can earn only about 1,000 euros. If the income of the working elderly is much higher than the pension, then you will have to give it up.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru13.06.2013