Overview
- The government-appointed Rentenkommission recommended in June a 33-point reform package that includes abolishing the abschlagsfreie pension available after 45 contribution years—often called the Rente mit 63—to reallocate funds toward a new capital-funded pillar.
- Commission chair Constanze Janda has publicly defended the change, saying the 45-year rule costs billions each year and those savings are needed to stabilize the system and finance the planned reforms.
- Senior coalition figures and regional SPD leaders are pressing for changes, with negotiators discussing compromises such as raising the required contribution years to 46 or 47 or limiting the rule to workers in hard physical jobs.
- An unconfirmed early working draft reported by a pension adviser would link the Schwerbehindertenrente (pension for severe disability) to the regular retirement age for cohorts born from 1970, a move that would delay access for some beneficiaries if adopted.
- Public opposition is strong in polls and the political backlash has prompted the government to signal it will reopen talks; the commission proposed transitional protections but many details affecting individuals’ retirement timing and finances remain unresolved.