Overview

• BMAS data confirm that more than one in four people with at least 45 contribution years receive under €1,300 per month, with lower averages in eastern states and for women.
• Five leading economic institutes propose slowing pension increases and reviving the sustainability factor, prompting SoVD to warn that cutbacks would endanger essential services and raise poverty risks.
• The coalition’s Aktivrente draft grants €2,000 per month tax‑free for working pensioners, while CDU figures press for €3,000 as fiscal and “mitnahme” cost concerns are flagged.
• Pressure on basic security is rising: 5.3 million people received Bürgergeld in August 2025 and Jens Spahn now calls for full benefit withdrawal for job refusers plus cuts to housing and heating supplements.
• Eligibility rules are shifting in practice, with Wohngeld‑Plus adding a €1,800 annual exemption per severely disabled household member and an LSG ruling making gross pension decisive for family health‑insurance access.