Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - The left-wing faction in Saxony-Anhalt is demanding that the state participate in the planned federal hardship fund for needy pensioners. The previously planned one-time payment of 2500 euros could thus be doubled. So far, only Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has announced this step.
32 years after unity, there were still injustices in pensions between East and West, said Left Party leader Eva von Angern of the German Press Agency. "The hardship fund planned by the federal government in its current form is outrageous for most East German pensioners who have been fighting for recognition of their pension entitlements for over 30 years. The state government should provide funds to increase the fund and expand the group of people."
Von Angern announced that her parliamentary group intends to submit a corresponding application. At the same time, Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU) must ensure that 90 percent do not go empty-handed, as is currently planned, but that all those affected receive the compensation payment. "We demand that the hardship fund be expanded into a justice fund that would be a political solution for everyone."
The hardship fund is intended to enable one-off payments to pensioners on the poverty line who lost their entitlements when the GDR pensions were transferred to the German system three decades ago. The payments are intended to mitigate particular hardships, they are not intended for all groups of people affected. The budget committee in the Bundestag has released 500 million euros for the fund. The federal states can join and participate in a corresponding foundation until March 31, 2023.
