Overview
- The Deutsche Rentenversicherung applied new calculation figures on July 1, 2026, raising the Entgeltpunkt value and setting a modeled maximum statutory gross pension at about €3,735 per month under 45 years at the contribution ceiling.
- Also effective July 1, 2026, Jobcenters may limit accommodation-cost coverage during the one‑year Karenzzeit to 150 percent of local Angemessenheitswerte, with defined exceptions for families and certain hardship cases.
- On July 6, 2026 the federal Cabinet approved a Wohngeld reform draft that would suspend indexation, cut the heating-cost component in half, narrow eligibility and aim to save roughly €1 billion, and the measure is now before the Bundestag for debate.
- Around 1.2 million households currently receive Wohngeld and about half are pensioners, so the proposed cuts combined with administrative cap rules risk pushing some people into Grundsicherung or leaving them with unmet housing costs as existing decisions expire and new assessments are issued.
- Structural limits such as the 2026 Beitragsbemessungsgrenze (€8,450 monthly) cap how many Entgeltpunkte workers can earn, regional differences mean average pensions can vary by about €500, and longstanding fears of Abschläge still shape many retirement timing choices despite counselling and buy‑back options.