Overview
- The Bundesarbeitsministerium draft Rentenversicherungsbericht projects a preliminary 4.09 percent statutory pension increase effective 1 July 2027 and forecasts that the pension contribution rate will rise from 18.6 percent to 19.7 percent in 2028 and to 19.8 percent in 2029.
- Mütterrente III will expand credited child‑rearing time for parents of children born before 1992, with the new entitlement effective January 2027 and retroactive payments for current pensions scheduled for January 2028.
- A rule change taking effect 1 January 2027 will bar statutory sick pay (Krankengeld) for part pensions that exceed two thirds of a full pension, with Deutsche Rentenversicherung citing 66.66 percent as the threshold to retain Krankengeld protection.
- The government’s Pflegeneuordnungsgesetz draft would remove the separate entitlement to Verhinderungspflege from 1 January 2027 and replace it with four new budgets for substitute and support services, a shift that could raise out‑of‑pocket costs for families who rely on regular replacement care.
- Longer‑term pressure from demographic change is driving further proposals: the Alterssicherungskommission recommends ending the abschlagsfreie pension after 45 contribution years and the OECD criticises Riester contracts for low net returns while endorsing the new Altersvorsorgedepot as a less restrictive private alternative.