The robbery of pensioners continues – Dagsavisen

In a post in The daily newspaper 7 March asks Erik Orskaug if Nav is to blame for public pensioners being wholly or partially deprived of paid occupational pensions if they continue working after the age of 67.

In 2010, the Storting adopted a coordination of national insurance and occupational pensions for public employees, which leads to very large losses of occupational pensions.

In 2011, the representatives of the Storting probably understood what the decision meant, because then they decided that it not should apply to them.

Everyone who continues to work in the public sector after the age of 67 loses more and more of their occupational pension, and the state and municipalities collect all occupational pension from those who work until the age of 73, despite the fact that they have followed the call from politicians to stay in work as long as possible, and that occupational pension contributions have been paid in for all years.

Over 20,000 public employees have lost and are losing large parts of – or all of – their occupational pension paid into the Statens Pensjonskasse, SPK, or the municipal one, KLP. Together with the employer, we pay approximately 17% of our salary in occupational pension contributions.

If we have worked in the public sector for over 40 years and earned an average of “only” NOK 500,000 per year, the payment of occupational pension contributions will amount to a total of over NOK 3.4 million. If we put it down to 3 million for each of our 20,000 employees, the deposits will total more than 60 billion.

Of this, the state and municipalities collect over 30 billion, which many describe as theft.

On its pension blog, SPK writes: “An important point to be aware of is that the monthly payments to us are not ‘traditional’ savings, but are a pension contribution that ultimately makes up your share of the total cake when paying your pension”.

The occupational pension is reduced more the longer we work, and ends up at zero if we continue until the age of 73.

Many people who have worked until the age of 73 have made inquiries to SPK with questions about the size of their occupational pension. Here is the answer that is given; “Your occupational pension will be NOK 0 before tax”.

Orskaug writes that the occupational pension should still be withdrawn from everyone who continues in the public sector after the age of 67. His reasoning is that the national insurance is increasing. Of course, it does this for everyone, since payment of the national insurance tax continues.

The contribution to the occupational pension is also still paid in, but despite additional payments, the occupational pension is reduced more the longer we work, and ends up at zero if we continue until the age of 73.

All employee organisations, including Unio, are against the co-ordination trap, so Orskaug does not speak on behalf of Unio.

All parties have also expressed their opposition to the coordination.

On 21 February, a proposal for repeal was considered in the Storting, but surprisingly still did not receive a majority. However, Labor and Inclusion Minister Marte Mjøs Persen said that the matter should be followed up in the ministry in an overall context, and that proposals for changes to the pension system should be submitted to the Storting.

She also highlighted the importance of strengthening work intensives for everyone who continues in the public sector after the age of 67. There is reason to assume that the coordination trap will be lifted shortly – and that it will be given retroactive effect!

[ – Dette har vi råd til, sier pensjonistenes general Jan Davidsen. Han krever at pensjonistene blir årets inntektsvinnere ]

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