Overview

• From 1 December 2025, the temporary supplement for certain existing pensions will be merged into monthly payments and counted as income when calculating widow’s and widower’s benefits, the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV) confirms.
• The survivor benefit will be reduced by 40 percent of the amount by which net income exceeds the applicable exemption, so integrating the supplement can lower payouts for those already near the limit.
• Since 1 July 2025, Verhinderungspflege and Kurzzeitpflege have been combined into a flexible annual budget of €3,539, with up to €1,685 reimbursable for paid replacement care and the rule that full days of replacement care halve the Pflegegeld for those days.
• The DRV is sending September verification letters to orphan’s pension recipients over 18, requiring timely proof of ongoing education or service (e.g., enrollment or training contracts), which can be submitted by post or online via forms R5462 and S8003.
• For 2026, disability pension rules use an annual additional-earnings logic under § 96a SGB VI and extend the Zurechnungszeit to 66 years and 3 months, while economists in Germany advocate slower pension increases and Austria plans selective indexation limits from 2026.