Debate on future pension policy in Germany

14 October 2016 - Professor Traute Meyer was part of a panel of distinguished speakers debating the pension system at the National Conference for Justice in Pension Policies of the Green Party, Berlin.

The PAYG pension system has become stable after the last financial crisis. At the same time the pension is no longer enough for people to live on and they must apply for basic security. In Germany there is still no minimum pension, or even a universal health insurance as there is in other countries. This conference explored the challenges of the pension system in Germany and asked what Germany can learn from studies in other countries to achieve a reliable scheme which avoids poverty in old age. Some of the possible solutions which were explored included a tax-financed basic pension system and reforms to the existing PAYG pension. This conference session looked at what is desired, what might be possible and took expert advice on ways forward. As well as CPC's Traute Meyer, panel members included Prof. Stefan Sell (University Koblenz), Markus Kurth MP and was chaired by Wolfgang Kuhn Strengemann-MP.

Professor Meyer's long established work on pensions, including her previous research project 'The reconstruction of British and German pension regimes' positioned her well to debate the challenges of the current pension system and provide evidence to influence positive changes to future pension policy.

Posted 12/10/2016 17:52