Germany’s Care Crisis: CDU Pushes Families to Pay More, May 30

Germany’s care insurance system is running out of money. Contribution rates could jump from 3.6% to 4.6% by 2030, with rates for childless workers hitting 5.5%. CDU politician Albert Stegemann is pushing to shift costs onto families by requiring adult children to pay earlier and forcing seniors to sell their homes to cover care expenses. The proposals have sparked fierce political backlash.

Lower Income Threshold for Adult Children

Stegemann wants to lower the income threshold at which adult children must help pay for their parents’ care. Currently, children earning over 100,000 euros per year must contribute to nursing home costs. Stegemann called this 2020 threshold “more or less arbitrary” and proposed reducing it to force more families to pay. He argues the current system leaves care funds underfunded as contribution rates climb.

Home Ownership as a Funding Source

Stegemann’s most controversial proposal targets home ownership. He wants seniors to sell their homes to pay for care before the state steps in. “Whoever owns assets must first use their own assets, including the home, before the community pays,” he told Bild newspaper. He also wants to close loopholes where families transfer property within 10-year windows to shield inheritance from care costs.

Opposition Mounts Across the Political Spectrum

SPD health expert Christos Pantazis warned that forcing seniors to sell homes ignores reality: for many families, a home is not a luxury but the result of decades of work and a core part of retirement security. Social welfare organizations rejected the plan. VdK president Verena Bentele said the proposals would hurt people with modest savings who own small homes but lack liquid funds.

The Care Funding Crisis

Germany’s care insurance faces a structural deficit. Without reform, contribution rates will rise to 4.6% by 2030, and to 5.5% for workers without children. Stegemann frames his proposals as necessary to stabilize the system, but critics argue they shift risk onto individuals rather than addressing systemic problems. Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) is preparing a broader care reform bill, expected in July.

Final Thoughts

Stegemann’s proposals would force lower-income families to sell homes and require adult children to pay care costs sooner. The political backlash signals this approach faces strong resistance, but the underlying crisis—rising contribution rates and care fund deficits—demands a solution.

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