Danger! 40% of pension notices could be incorrect! This is how you protect yourself!

Danger! 40% of pension notices could be incorrect! This is how you protect yourself!

Pension consultant Christian Lindner urgently warns pensioners not to blindly rely on the accuracy of their pension notices. His findings show that around 40% of the notices he checked are incorrect, which can subsequently lead to lower pension payments. These alarming figures were put into perspective by the German Pension Insurance (DRV), which issued around two million pension notices in 2023, of which only around 0.6%, i.e. around 1,000 cases, were actually incorrect HNA reported.

The DRV states that of the approximately 154,000 objections that were filed in 2023, in over a quarter of the cases (25.8% or 39,700) notices were corrected in the remedial procedure. This was often due to documents submitted subsequently that were missing from the notice initially issued. According to DRV, there are comprehensive control and quality assurance mechanisms that greatly reduce the risk of errors. These measures mean that errors are corrected ex officio as soon as they are discovered or new information becomes available.

Be careful with missing information

According to the German Pension Insurance, it is crucial for insured persons to ensure that their insurance history is complete and that all relevant information is correctly stated in the pension application. In particular, periods such as schooling, studying and raising children must be applied for independently. The first insurance history is sent to the insured together with the first pension information as soon as they are 27 years of age or older and have paid into the pension insurance for at least five years.

If you have any questions or are unsure about pension notices, insured persons can contact the DRV's free information and advice centers or volunteer insurance advisors. Account clarification can also be requested to supplement missing times. The DRV also recommends checking your own insurance history before receiving your pension notice, especially from the age of 27, in order to close any gaps in good time.

Object and request review

If pensioners wish to appeal or file a review request within one month of receiving their decision, they have this right. The possibility of a review also exists many years after the notice was issued, with additional payments possible retroactively for up to four years. In 2024, the DRV confirmed that of a total of two million pension notices issued, around 159,000 objections were processed, but only 0.8% (around 1,200 cases) were actually incorrect, as shown in the data from German pension insurance explained.

Overall, it is essential that insured persons check their data carefully and inform the pension insurance company of any changes in personal circumstances as quickly as possible. This is the only way you can ensure that your pension benefits are calculated correctly and paid out on time.