Higher costs for the Bund – Reformation of the pension system becomes Finanz -Bumerang

Higher health insurance contributions for pensioners, a flat -planned flat load of 25 percent for pensioners who continue to work, and the restrictions on partial pension from 2026: Green Social spokesperson Markus Koza does not leave any good hair in conversation with the “Kroon” and justifies his criticism.

Criticism number one: the Increasing the contributions of health insurance for pensioners With 0.9 to 6 percent, which has been in force since June. According to Koza, she not only costs the pensioners a lot of money, namely 700 million euros per year in 2026. The individual pensioners cost up to more than 300 euros per year (see graphic).

Moreover, the measure is also curious the state is also very expensive. On the one hand, the Minister of Finance loses 200 million euros in income tax. Koza: “The increase in the KV contributions lowers the wage tax assessment basis and thus reduces income tax. 200 million euros that are missing when renovating the budget.”

However, this is by no means the only gap that is also torn in the state budget. With the increase in pensioners KV contributions, according to Koza, the so-called lifting rates rise automatically. What is that? Very simplified: the KV contributions from employees (7.65 percent) are composed of employee (3.87 percent) and employer contributions (3.78 percent). For the pensioners of the KV contributions of the pensioners (now 6 percent) and to speak the share of employees and the contributions of pension insurance (lift rate)-something such as the “employer share”.

Another half a billion euros that the budget is missing
However, because the pension insurance does not have the money for this, the share – ie the rate of the balance – is paid from the federal budget. And that costs another 500 million euros. Koza: “So half a billion euros that lack the budget. However, the money does not go directly to the health insurance companies, but flows into a health spot to set up – what has tasks is a completely different subject.” The “Heffen rates” of 500 million euros, according to Koza, increase the pension costs of the federal budget: “That makes it extra absurd.”

That is not all: at the same time, the ÖGK still has to be financially filled in for pensioners with a low pension due to compensatory measures. This costs the health insurance companies between 80 and 100 million euros.

“A bag is filled in which the other one tore even bigger hole.”
In summary, according to Koza: “The health insurance companies now now get around 600 million euros more net from higher KV contributions minus damping measures for the renovation. What does the state budget cost that the Minister of Finance is now missing. One bag is filled, the other is in a hole. And this should be intelligent?”

The second major criticism of the greens is that planned flat load of 25 percent For everyone who continues to work in addition to the purchase of their pension – keyword “Work on old age‘It can object to the principle of equal treatment, for example, if a woman with two phase -time jobs is fully taxable, but a pensioner in addition to the pension pays only 25 percent tax on his income.

Older people with a low pension and low incomes disadvantaged?
Moreover, it can happen that older low earners even pay. For example, if you currently have so little with a pension and salary that you are not taxable at all, but then suddenly have to pay 25 percent tax on the salary section.

And finally, the concept of the flat tax for “working in old age” works the partial council, which is also planned by the government, which must be adopted this week in the National Council and which of the Greens. But he wonders: who has to go to a partial council if it pays more financially to obtain the entire pension and also prefer to work for tax purposes?

Third and last major criticism are the Restrictions on partial pensionwhich will finally be determined this week and must come into effect from next year. Here the green is strict: “This is the silent death of partial retirement.” Because the restrictions are enormous: from 2026 to 2029, the possible reference period should gradually fall from five years before the retirement to just three years. According to a gradual increase, 17 instead of 15 years of employment in the past 25 years will also be necessary for access. In addition, the wage compensation of the state will be temporarily reduced from 90 to 80 percent in 2026 to 2028.

About 6,000 people recently benefited from around 6,000 people every year. Koza fears that she will then become so unattractive that the number is falling enormously, so that politicians can dig the currently popular model one day.

Older people land unemployment more often without partial pension
According to the social spokesperson of Greens, the calculation that the state saves a lot will hardly work. Because with a later or without a partial pension option, the elderly simply relate countries, health or rehabilitation money more often in unemployment or pension with a disability.

At least if they behave so much, it is already today: according to the Greens calculation, less than half of the green calculation of 1,000 men older than 60 is actually up to 65 years in work (see image above): 466 slide into unemployment, 30 in the health or rehabilitation fees and 43 in disability pension (see graphics). Koza: “The hoped for -for the shortening of the retention period of partial retirement will all work longer and will not be present in working life!”