Overview
- The Labour Ministry’s draft sets the 2026 reference average wage at €51,944, up from €50,493, reducing entgeltpunkte accrual for unchanged incomes.
- The government plans an Aktivrente from January 2026 allowing employed pension‑age workers to receive up to €2,000 a month tax‑free from continued work.
- Social insurance contributions will still be due on Aktivrente earnings, and the measure excludes the self‑employed and business owners.
- The Finance Ministry estimates annual tax relief of about €890 million for working pensioners, with foregone revenue potentially exceeding €1 billion in 2027.
- Alongside these steps, policymakers are discussing a low‑cost, state‑organised Extrarente as a successor to Riester, with design details still under debate.