"Not Stopgaps": Senior Council Wants to Prevent Increase in Health Insurance

On Wednesday, the Senior Citizens' Council expressed strong criticism of the government's planned increase in health insurance contributions for pensioners. "We reject the idea that seniors are used as a liability for budget gaps," said Peter Kostelka, president of the SPÖ-affiliated Pensioners' Association, at a press conference. "We will take all measures and hold discussions to achieve a change," emphasized ÖVP Senior Citizens' Association President Ingrid Korosec.

In principle, they are positively disposed towards the formation of a government of the "democratic center," explained Kostelka. They also acknowledge the "heavy legacy" of budget repair that the current government of ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS has inherited. However, they reject with "deepest aversion" the use of pension funds to fill budget gaps.

Senior Citizens' Council Criticizes Health Insurance Increase Massively

The government-proposed increase in health insurance contributions from the current 5.1 to 6 percent is unjust. Currently, seniors already pay more than employees (3.78 percent), argued Kostelka: "This increase is not justifiable, pensioners should not be the stopgaps." Furthermore, it must be considered that seniors have generally been in the workforce for 40 years or more and have paid into health insurance during this time, Korosec emphasized.

Korosec quantified the additional burden for the group of seniors at around 500 million euros per year: "Spread over five years, that amounts to 2.5 billion to 3 billion, which seniors are supposed to contribute to budget consolidation." The bank levy, on the other hand, which is limited to two years, amounts to just under 1 billion. "That is completely unjust," said Korosec: "We will take all measures." They aim to achieve, for example, that there should also be a two-year limitation for this measure, which should then be evaluated. Additionally, the Senior Citizens' Council demands that the funds be earmarked for health and care.

The health system is on the ground, criticized Kostelka. "And in the area of care, we were promised a total reform for the first time in 2018." There have not even been intermediate steps. There is no federal state where beds are not left empty due to a lack of nursing staff.

No Pension Adjustment Below Inflation Rate

Another demand of the Senior Citizens' Council is that there should be no conclusion of pension adjustments below the inflation rate during the current legislative period. Budget consolidation should not be at the expense of the older generation, criticized the President of the Pensioners' Association.

Regarding the government's planned proration of 50 percent in the first year after retirement, Kostelka said: "Slightly better is still far from good." However, this would at least rectify the "completely crazy system" whereby the timing of retirement determines the level of adjustment in the first year of retirement. However, the fact that pensioners are supposed to receive only 50 percent adjustment in the first year is not fair. The President of the Senior Citizens' Association also criticizes the 50-percent adjustment. "I do not understand why seniors should not receive the full pension adjustment in the first year." No employee would understand that either. Therefore, they will resist it.

FPÖ Criticizes "Hypocrisy"

The Freedom Party criticized the demands of the Senior Citizens' Council. "It is a special class of hypocrisy when the senior representatives of SPÖ and ÖVP suddenly criticize the pension robbery of the government that they themselves negotiated," said Vienna FPÖ Chairman Dominik Nepp, who is also the Freedom Party's top candidate in the Vienna municipal council election on April 27. "While SPÖ and ÖVP transfer millions to Islamists in Syria, they abandon Austrian pensioners," Nepp said.

(APA/Red)

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