Overview

• BMAS data indicate an average payout of €1,668 for people with at least 45 insurance years, with a marked West–East gap (West €1,729, East €1,527), Hamburg highest (€1,787), Thuringia lowest (€1,491), and a gender gap of €1,778 for men versus €1,449 for women.
• Wohngeld‑Plus, in force since January 2025, raises support through a permanent heating component, a climate component and higher rent ceilings, and deducts €1,800 per year from assessable income for each recognized severely disabled household member.
• Rough calculations show a retiree living alone on about €1,000 a month often qualifies for roughly €200 to over €400 in Wohngeld depending on rent and local Mietstufe, based on 2025 parameters.
• The Aktivrente design remains unsettled, with a finance ministry draft proposing €2,000 a month tax‑free earned income from 2026 and CDU/Union figures pushing for €3,000, as cost estimates run up to €2.8 billion annually.
• A March 2025 LSG Berlin‑Brandenburg ruling held that gross pension, not net, decides eligibility for free family insurance, a standard that can end coverage once the monthly income threshold (€535 in 2025) is exceeded, and experts project a roughly 3.37% pension increase for July 2026 that awaits legal confirmation in spring.