Schwerin (dpa / mv) – Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania advocates a one-off payment for East pensioners whose claims were only partially taken into account in the transition from GDR pension law. As part of a hardship solution, those affected should receive 5,000 euros, half of which is borne by the state and the federal government. “There are groups that were not taken into account when the GDR pension law was transferred for incomprehensible reasons, such as women who divorced in GDR times. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has been working for many years to ensure that we come to a solution here.” , explained Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) in a message distributed in Schwerin on Thursday. The CDU, Greens and FDP had previously requested a regulation for this in a state parliament application, which is still pending.
According to Schwesig, the federal government has proposed a hardship fund for affected people with very small pensions as a result of the deliberations of a federal-state working group. Pension law is federal law. “In the interests of those affected, the state government in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is prepared to top up a one-off payment of 2,500 euros from the federal government per affected person with another 2,500 euros from the state budget,” Schwesig made clear. This would cost the state a total of 25 million euros, which could already be anchored in the supplementary budget planned for 2023. This is to be decided in December in the state parliament.
In addition to East pensioners, late resettlers and Jewish contingent refugees with low pensions should also benefit from the fund.
