Digitalisierung und Arbeiten 4.0 – Reformbedarf für die Alterssicherung?: 10 Thesen zur geplanten Altersvorsorge- (bzw. Rentenversicherungs)pflicht für Selbstständige – Wie es (nicht) funktionieren wird

Most self-employed individuals in Germany are so far not compulsory members of a pension scheme. Unions and social democrats have developed the concept of an „Erwerbstätigenversicherung“ – a type of insurance cumpulsory for all those generating income via labour. In addition to the self-employed, this group theoretically includes civil servants – but they are supposed to join at a much later stage.Conservative politicians and employers' associations favour a system in which the self-employed have to prove that they are saving enough to avoid poverty in old age, but are, to some extent at least, free in their choice of investments.The author develops 10 propositions regarding what is likely to succeed or not, this in an attempt to provide politicians with a checklist. For instance, the ability to pay for a pension scheme of any kind is limited as a result of very high minimum health insurance payments (specific to self-employed individuals in Germany). Among others, this affects a large number of self-employed women who are working part-time. The author states that neither concept will bear fruit if this is not changed.Another key hypothesis is that including self-employed individuals in the state-run pension system will delay the more substantial reforms necessary to make the system future-proof – such as a dynamic retirement age or immigration and integration of skilled workers to Germany.