Niedrige Renten trotz langer Versicherungszeiten. Eine empirische Analyse der Risikofaktoren

Based on combined data from the German Pension Insurance Fund and the Federal Employment Agency (BASiD 2007) we analyse factors which increase the risk of receiving a low pension despite long periods of insurance. We define a low pension as being a pension entitlement which is not more than 10 percent above subsistence level. In this study, on the basis of process data, the effects of low wages on the one hand and low working hours on the other are analysed separately for the first time. The results confirm previous studies on risk factors for pension entitlements by showing that long periods of contribution in employment subject to social security contributions and high incomes decrease the risk of receiving a low pension. Long working hours have a positive effect on pension entitlements independent of hourly wages. The results also show how important redistributive rules within pension insurance law are. For instance, times of unemployment affect the risk of a low pension less when they are covered in the insurance record through receipt of unemployment benefit. To prevent low pensions, it is therefore necessary to strengthen both employment participation as a proactive element and redistribution in the pension insurance as a retroactive one.