How people in Germany will be able to check their pension contributions online
Starting Friday June 30th, people in Germany can access information on their state, private and company pension via the internet.
An overview of pension contributions to-date can be found on the website Rentenuebersicht.de from 3pm on Friday, a statement from Deutsche Rentenversicherung revealed.
To register on the portal, people will need a personal ID card or residence permit with the e-ID function activated. This is automatically activated in personal ID cards given out since 2017, though foreigners with permanent residence permits will need to activate this themselves at a Bürgeramt or Ausländerbehörde.
READ ALSO: What is Germany's electronic ID card and how do you use it?
An individual tax identification number - which can be found on the income tax assessment notice or a payslip, for example - will also be required. Deutsche Rentenversicherung is also examining whether other options for secure authentication, such as the certificate system used on the tax portal Elster, can be offered in the future.
The plans for an online pension statement have been in the pipeline since 2018, when the so-called Grand Coalition of the CDU/CSU and SPD announced their intention to offer this additional digital service for citizens.
Five years later, however, as some progress towards digitalisation is made, Deutsche Rentenversicherung has assured people that the new online service won't fully replace the old one.
For the time being at least, people will still receive their annual pension statements in paper form by post. This happens automatically after at least five years of pension contributions have been accrued.
According to the statement, the use of the online portal is voluntary, free of charge and possible with all major internet browsers.
READ ALSO: How long do you have to work to receive a German pension?
The service is intended to "help citizens get a better overview of the status of their individual old-age provision situation", Deutsche Rentenversicherung explained, or as "the basis for further counselling in order to be able to recognise and act on any gaps in old-age provision at an early stage".
At present, the project is still officially in a pilot phase, with regular operation planned from the end of 2023.
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An overview of pension contributions to-date can be found on the website Rentenuebersicht.de from 3pm on Friday, a statement from Deutsche Rentenversicherung revealed.
To register on the portal, people will need a personal ID card or residence permit with the e-ID function activated. This is automatically activated in personal ID cards given out since 2017, though foreigners with permanent residence permits will need to activate this themselves at a Bürgeramt or Ausländerbehörde.
READ ALSO: What is Germany's electronic ID card and how do you use it?
An individual tax identification number - which can be found on the income tax assessment notice or a payslip, for example - will also be required. Deutsche Rentenversicherung is also examining whether other options for secure authentication, such as the certificate system used on the tax portal Elster, can be offered in the future.
The plans for an online pension statement have been in the pipeline since 2018, when the so-called Grand Coalition of the CDU/CSU and SPD announced their intention to offer this additional digital service for citizens.
Five years later, however, as some progress towards digitalisation is made, Deutsche Rentenversicherung has assured people that the new online service won't fully replace the old one.
For the time being at least, people will still receive their annual pension statements in paper form by post. This happens automatically after at least five years of pension contributions have been accrued.
According to the statement, the use of the online portal is voluntary, free of charge and possible with all major internet browsers.
READ ALSO: How long do you have to work to receive a German pension?
The service is intended to "help citizens get a better overview of the status of their individual old-age provision situation", Deutsche Rentenversicherung explained, or as "the basis for further counselling in order to be able to recognise and act on any gaps in old-age provision at an early stage".
At present, the project is still officially in a pilot phase, with regular operation planned from the end of 2023.
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