Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie
-
Trying to analyse the effects of the paradigm shift in the old age social security system in Germany (GRV) from a life cycle gender perspective yields light and shade - it is a conglomeration of individual- and family-specific transfers, financed by a mix of contributions and taxes, and with measures of explicit and implicit, intended and not intended ex-post and ex-ante redistribution and discrimination. The paradigm shift has increased the complexity of the system and created additional elements of gender specific discrimination as well as reduced established elements of the so called "social compensation". Furthermore, the relevance of complementary private and occupational pensions will increase absolute and relative due to the reduction of the pension level. ⋯ The analysis shows that the paradigm shift primarily brings disadvantages to women. They disproportionally depend on statutory pension system benefits, and therefore also on compensating benefits of the negative consequences of private and occupational pension systems. For the future an increase in poverty of older people - and especially women - can be seen to emerge because of pension privatisation and the reduction of the pension level in the German social security system.