Ältere Leistungsberechtigte in der Grundsicherung

Abstract

"In Germany, people fit work who are unemployed or have little income can receive basic income support for jobseekers in accordance with SGB II in order to secure their livelihood. In principle, this also applies to older benefit recipients up to the standard retirement age. However, until 2022, those entitled to benefits from the age of 63 were obliged to switch from basic income support to a pension if they had the necessary insurance years for early retirement. With the Citizens' Benefit, which came into force on January 1, 2023, this regulation set out in §12a SGB II was suspended until December 31, 2026. One of the aims of the reform is to keep older people entitled to benefits in the labor market. To be able to assess the employment potential of older benefit recipients targeted by the temporary suspension of §12a SGB II, it is necessary to characterize them. This research report therefore looks at older benefit recipients aged 55 and older in SGB II using various data sources. Information is provided on the number of people in and out of benefit receipt and their attachment to the labor market as well as the specific circumstances and problems of older benefit recipients are presented. The number of older people entitled to benefits under SGB II rose significantly between 2007 and 2023, both in absolute terms and in relation to the total number of people entitled to benefits. This increase is mainly attributable to Western Germany, while the number of older beneficiaries in Eastern Germany has fallen over time. The increase in the number of older beneficiaries is not driven by gender or nationality. Within the group of older beneficiaries, the age structure has shifted. An increasing number of people are older than 60. In particular, the number of beneficiaries over the age of 63 has risen almost continuously and has tripled over time. The labor market attachment of older benefit recipients has increased in recent years. On the one hand, the proportion of those registered as unemployed, i.e. those who are available for integration into the labor market, has risen from around 35 percent in 2010 to around 45 percent in 2023. If older beneficiaries are not registered as unemployed, this is often due to incapacity to work or special regulations for older people in SGB II. In addition to unemployment, the employment of older benefit recipients has also increased over time, so that in 2023 almost one in five benefit recipients over 55 was in employment. Marginal employment in particular plays a role here. In summary, both the rising number of older people registered as unemployed and the widespread marginal employment among older benefit recipients indicate that there is employment potential among older benefit recipients, at least in this respect, which could be leveraged by the temporary suspension of §12a SGB II. In addition to the number of older people entitled to benefits, this research report also sheds light on the behavior of those leaving benefit receipt and their integration into employment. The exit rates of beneficiaries over the age of 55 are significantly lower than those of younger age groups. Significant departures from benefit receipt can only be identified for beneficiaries who have reached the age of 63, whereby these are likely transitions to retirement. Departures from benefit receipt by older people also vary considerably over time in line with changes in access to pensions, i.e. departures are observed particularly at certain age limits at which pension access is possible. The integration rate into employment of beneficiaries over 55 is very low. Especially at the age of 60 or older, employment integration is almost non-existent and there is no positive trend to be seen here. This casts doubt on the objective of the temporary suspension of Section 12a SGB II to limit the forced withdrawal of older beneficiaries from the labor market, at least with regard to actual integration into employment. An examination of the individual employment and benefit receipt biographies provides further information on the labor market attachment of older benefit recipients and shows that a large proportion of over 75 percent have been receiving benefits for a very long time. A small proportion of these people are also in employment - mostly in marginal employment - but the majority have a very low level of employment participation. In addition, the biographies of 20 percent of older benefit recipients are characterized by shorter benefit receipt and slightly higher employment participation. There is therefore a certain heterogeneity within the group of older benefit recipients in terms of labor market status and benefit receipt. In addition, the biographies in the event of termination of benefit receipt are characterized by the access options to pensions: leaving benefit receipt often takes place at the age limits of 63 years and from 65 years. Although it is not possible to tell directly from administrative data whether people leave benefit receipt and claim pensions, it can be assumed that they do if they leave benefit receipt at these ages. On the basis of survey data, more concrete statements can be made about the situation of people who received benefits at the age of 62 at the age of 64: A large proportion remain in receipt of benefits under SGB II, while around 6 percent receive benefits under SGB XII. Around a quarter of benefit recipients no longer receive benefits. Of these, the majority receive pensions. By contrast, taking up more than marginal employment hardly plays a role in leaving benefit receipt. However, it remains fundamentally unclear whether any access to pensions is voluntary or follows the application of Section 12a SGB II. Comparing older people in receipt of benefits with people not in receipt of benefits in the same age group with the help of survey data, the circumstances and problems of the group of older recipients of basic benefits can be illustrated. In line with the literature, benefit recipients often have lower educational qualifications, live alone more often, are more likely to have a migration background and report poorer health. The findings of the research report cast doubt on whether the temporary suspension of §12a SGB II will achieve its goal of keeping older people entitled to benefits in the labor market and increasing their employment potential. The employment potential appears limited and accompanying measures such as stronger counselling and placement activities are therefore necessary. Support for beneficiaries aged between 55 and 60 is likely to be particularly effective." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Belzer, J., Lietzmann, T. & Prümer, S. (2025): Ältere Leistungsberechtigte in der Grundsicherung. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 19/2025), Nürnberg, 74 p. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2519