Hardship fund: Why tens of thousands of GDR pensioners are left empty-handed!

Hardship fund: Why tens of thousands of GDR pensioners are left empty-handed!

The debate about the hardship fund for GDR pensioners has gained momentum again. Susanne Schaper, the parliamentary group leader of the Left in the Saxon state parliament, sharply criticizes the strict eligibility conditions for this fund. In their opinion, the hurdles are too high to help many needy pensioners who made valuable contributions while working in the GDR. Only people who receive a pension at the basic security level are eligible, which excludes many of those who are actually entitled. This particularly affects those who lost pension rights after reunification and often only have to get by on a minimal income.

The fund was launched in 2023 and was intended to provide support for people who worked in the GDR. So far, however, tens of thousands have gone away empty-handed. The reports make it clear that only a handful of former miners, 48 ​​former postal workers, 97 members of the Reichsbahn, two ballet dancers and 91 from the health and social services benefited from the aid. While around 1,500 people received support in Saxony-Anhalt, the number of successful applications nationwide, at around 57,000, fell far short of expectations. Around 170,000 people across Germany applied for compensation.

Calls for increased support

A future-oriented approach could be to increase one-off compensation payments to 5,000 euros for certain professional groups, as some federal states have already implemented. But the Saxon state government has so far decided against such a step and could therefore disappoint many potential claimants. The one-off payment of 2,500 euros available from the hardship fund does not seem to be sufficient for many of those affected. Particularly since the introduction of this regulation, concerns have been raised that the federal government is not doing enough to address the increased cost of living.

The federal foundation, which is responsible for implementing the hardship fund, has also set clear deadlines: applications must be submitted by September 30, 2023. Contacting those responsible is extremely straightforward; Inquiries can be made to the foundation by telephone or email. This means that everyone affected should have the opportunity to assert their legal claims.

A look into the future

The issue is explosive and affects not only the pensioners themselves, but also the political landscape in the region. Especially before the upcoming election, it is of great interest to many voters how the parties stand on these issues. The problem of pensions from the GDR and how to deal with hardship cases is still an urgent issue that urgently needs solutions. The hope remains that those affected will quickly receive the support they deserve.