Overview
- The German pension insurer confirms the disability supplement paid since July 2024 will be merged into regular payments from December 1, 2025, ending the temporary non‑counting rule under §307j SGB VI.
- Survivor pensions that are subject to income testing can fall once the supplement is counted; the federal government says around 46 percent of widows and widowers are affected by income assessments.
- Scale indicators vary: the DRV estimates roughly three million people are entitled to the supplement, while advisory firm Rentenbescheid24 projects more than 750,000 widows could lose about €208 per month on average.
- Consolidation raises the taxable gross pension, pushing many retirees over the basic allowance or into higher tax brackets, with possible increases in income tax and the solidarity surcharge.
- DRV says updated notices are expected from mid‑November and the December pension is due December 30; the change is also fueling a broader policy fight as SPD defends its pension package against a Young Union warning of over €115 billion in extra costs and as reports indicate the European Commission is exploring linking future EU funds to pension reforms.