New Laws and Regulations July 2015

You can check out the general changes for 2015 here or check on the monthly changes for April, May and June.

This is what will be changing for you this month.

 

Pension

Those receiving the public pension, have something to celebrate. In Western Germany, the public pension pay out will increase by 2.1% while it increases by 2.5% in the East.

 

Savings

On 3rd of July, a new law comes into effect concerning your savings. In all 28 EU countries, bank clients are assured of getting their savings after a bank goes bankrupt. Any savings up to €100,000 per client per bank, shall be paid out in such a case.

 

Parental Benefit Plus (Elterngeld Plus)

Thanks to the reform of the Federal Parental Benefit and Parental leave law (Bundeselterngeld- und Elternzeitgesetz (BEEG)), there will be several changes made to parental benefit by the introduction of the parental benefit plus. Although this comes into effect on January 1st, only parents who give birth from July 1st 2015 are legible to apply for it.

Although new parents getting parental benefit were also allowed to work part-time, they will no longer receive the full benefit amount.

Parents will now also be allowed to receive the parental benefit for up to 28months after birth of their child instead of the usual 14 months of the current regulation.

Parents will also be allowed to share the Elternzeit into 3 blocks unlike the current 2. However, if the third block falls between the child’s third and 8th birthday, the employer may refuse to give the employee leave based on urgent operational reasons (dringende betriebliche Gründen).

(Read: Elterngeld Plus Introduced)

 

Advanced Testing Program by TÜV, Dekra & Co.

If you need to renew your TÜV in 2015, be ware of the new test program that is set to be even more rigorous than the current one. The new testing will include testing of the ABS and the ESP.

 

Fare evasion will cost more

From July 1st, it will be cheaper to buy a valid ticket instead of evading the fare. The fine will increase from €40 to €60.

 

Pfändung (Minimum seizure allowance)

I also couldn’t understand what that title means so let me explain what this is about. This is the amount from which a debtor can ask for payment. In case an individual is indebted to another, the law sets a minimum amount which the individual should be allowed keep to sustain themselves despite being indebted. This is also to prevent individuals from using all their income to pay debts thus ending up applying for social welfare to sustain themselves.

The minimum monthly “unpfändbare Grundbetrag” is €1073.88. This amount increases to 404.16 euros per month for the first person and by 225.17 euros for the second to fifth person, when there are legal maintenance obligations to be fulfilled.