Germany’s poor pensioners | DW Documentary
Вставка
- Опубліковано 21 січ 2018
- Poverty threatens more German seniors than ever. How to make ends meet, when pension isn’t enough?
Herbert worked nearly his entire life, as a welder and as a sailor. But he never put much thought into his pension. Now at 65, he barely receives enough to make ends meet. He can hardly afford daily expenses, not to mention hobbies or a vacation. The number of people in Germany struck with the same fate as Herbert is on the rise. At 15%, the rate of pensioners living at poverty level has leapt higher than any other segment in society. Herbert relies on food donations and collects bottles left behind by party-revelers for extra cash. It’s not easy for him, but he has no other choice. Just like so many other pensioners, even in Germany’s wealthiest regions. A report by Axel Rowohlt.
_______
Exciting, powerful and informative - DW Documentary is always close to current affairs and international events. Our eclectic mix of award-winning films and reports take you straight to the heart of the story. Dive into different cultures, journey across distant lands, and discover the inner workings of modern-day life. Subscribe and explore the world around you - every day, one DW Documentary at a time.
Subscribe to DW Documentary:
/ @dwdocumentary
For more documentaries visit:
www.dw.com/en/tv/docfilm/s-3610
Instagram
/ dwdocumentary
Facebook:
/ dw.stories
DW netiquette policy: www.dw.com/en/dws-netiquette-p...
People break their backs working all their life for someone just to be tossed aside like an old shoe when they become old or disabled.. very sad
Dwayne, unfortunately, that happens everywhere. However, not to prepare financially for your old age from a young age, is a massive mistake. Also, not having the correct personal insurances in place whilst working can leave you in a terrible position if you become very sick or injured and not at pension age.
dwayne marshall that's because most people in most countries live beyond their means and from paycheck to paycheck. People need to save money starting in their 20's instead of having to depend on the government.
dwayne marshall he is not old. German live 90 years old he is still young. Europe should stop their nonsense socialism
or investing as soon as you get your first pay cheque put that money somewhere safe
This is the failure of socialism.
It's so heartbreaking seeing people give the best days of their life to society and get nothing in return in their old age.
Yeah....its kinda tragic
Before you feel bad for him, listen at 4:40. He was rich and he didn't save anything. He can only blame himself.
@@mrrandom1265 you misunderstood. he was a trainee at a shipyard, probably thats how he got to travel on cruises. he was never rich, just made enough to get by.
Some people are lazy when they young ,dont save money etc
go_west trainee for all his adult life? I don’t think so, 7:43 he spends 450 euros on his apartment rent-he could save it by moving to Eastern Germany/Austria. I think 900 Euros/month(after taxes) is more than enough for a single person to survive in East Germany/or in smaller cities.
He has a apartment, a car and decent health. He's better off than many American elderly who are homeless sick and broke. I admire his fighting spirit. 🇺🇸
This is true, also better off than in Canada. Hopefully he never has to move out of his flat and be force to pay the real rents of today.
I wish I could have spent a few hours in Hamburg when I switched trains there last summer, the harbor looks so interesting!
visit africa
Well... when Europe cleaned itself, US and Canada were established. Same systems..same misery.
I agree, he has his basic needs met.
He basic needs are more than met when he can turn down food. Starving people dont turn down any food. People starving everywhere and they dont have a choice of vegan or non vegan
He’s incredibly likeable, non complaining. He’s disciplined and loves his city and his cat. He’s getting out and has exercise. His life is hard but somehow I think he is satisfied. If I win the lottery I will shout him a trip to Australia and New Zealand.
He is a beautiful man. I love his face and his attitude. He is still working hard.
Herbert may be in need but he recognizes that there are others in worse shape. It is a good person who shows gratitude for what he has and still has compassion for those in greater need.
Those of you in your 20s, this could be you in 45 years or less. Save now till it hurts..then save more.
Not just save. You have to ensure that your savings grow at a decent rate
@@keyurpatel1982
Exactly.
Even in my 20s, I can't afford to smoke
in lithuania old german tourists bring the main income to some regions. i am from one of those regions, klaipėda (memel), and i always was jealous of those pensioners. riding bicycles everywhere, traveling abroad seemed like a best way to say farewell to your life. it's sad that life ends with misery for some people.. i'm 28, and i think about that all the time.
DW, thank you for your documentaries
peaou
They don’t tell in this video that you have to work and pay your pension insurance to have a good pension. Those people wasted their money and now complaining.
Well its only logical that you see the rich pensioners on vacation.
Bloody heart breaking to see the elderly live this way. To those complaining about his smoking, try walking a mile in his shoes before being so judgemental.
Judgemental about smoking?
you are judging people by the fact that you don't know if they've walked a mile in his shoes already.
Why don't you pay for his stinking habit then? He's going to die from it anyway, so why are you defending him? I also noticed he just throws the butts on the road. So much for "loving Hamburg".
smoking and drinking, not justifiable by any stretch. it's disgusting
nothing but respect for this fine man. There are pensioners in UK who would swap his life for theirs. Europe is drowning.
It's amazing how people work all their lives and have nothing really, and this is not just in Germany but the rest of Europe.
I think it's Global.
@@hopeodyssey of course its global due to the 1% control the world
@@kingneptune8937 And that 1% is the elite hypocrites who push socialism while they live in gated mansions.
Why is this happening in many developed countries?
anglofrançaise Yvonne
In the USA too
Poverty is how the state controls people - it will never end.
paul sawczyc
No Paul it will when we all join together World Wide and strike for Peace and Justice for All Humans !
“No Justice No Peace” 🙏🏾4️⃣🌎✌🏼
I've always had that thought at the back of my mind. If politicians want to end poverty, they can.
Never say never
Not the state. Business people and the corrupt politicians they have in their pockets.
How does poverty control
I find it absolutely disgusting when the state fails to look after their elderly and war veterans.
Sky-view are you including the USA to. Because it is a big problem here.
@Allen S No, poverty in the US is a much bigger problem. Unlike in the US, the government pays for your apartment, food, all health related issues and much more if you cannot afford it. Homelessness in Germany is a choice, as everyone has the right to live in an Appartement...I guess you didn’t know that;) Most of the homeless people don’t want to do the paperwork and habe been out of society for too long. They decide to live on the street but actually receive monthly money, usually 400-700$
War veterans yes, unless disabled the elderly should have saved for their own retirement. Where is the accountability?EVEN in my own family with 5 sisters and one brother, some lived paycheck to paycheck and some were frugal and saved.
the same.
many japanese pensioners also are struggling like him.
Really? Why?
Difference is the Japanese government isn't subsidizing their own people's replacement.
I'm Japanese and getting my pension of 1500 Euro/Month or more after 7 years, which is normal sum in Japan. In every countries there are people who have dropped out of economic system. Even though they should be cared.
South korean too
Yet Japan has no foreigners .... bigot and losers always blame others rather than themselves
I already knew about this problem when I lived in DE for 1,5 years. I always encouraged my friends to buy a flat, small apartment or even a small house in country side, because once you get old, you cant keep paying the pension money to rent the flat. At least when you have a place to stay then pension money can be used for something else such as buying foods.
His rent is 450 euro and the pension 900
Serendipity most Germans don’t like the responsibility of owing because of the coast to care for it. It’s a mindset
Tony Wiyantono yes I think when you were young ,you should’ve saved some money and bought a house don’t make yourself a poor person having no dignity . That’s so sad and scary. I don’t want my life looking like that it’s awful!
Renting makes more sense in Germany. It’s the cigarettes that don’t add up in this story... but we all have our vices.
@@lisaschuster9187 Care to explain why renting makes more sense over there? thanks.
What a wonderful elderly man. His circumstances are like mine!! He is inspirational!!! I thank him for sharing his story!!!
To everyone: SAVE, SAVE, SAVE for your own future! Quit extravagant lifestyle!
Yes, Nemo! Spot on.
Absolutely!
@WithAStick AngryWhiteMan Correction: please look at Scandinavia, as neither Venezuela nor N. K. are social democratic, but dictatorships. Scandinavian SOCIAL democratic nations do right by their citizens; an excellent job from education to retirement! Meanwhile, US politicians (both parties, really) sell the country to corporations & special interests via citizens united, bar working people's unions, enact the unconstitutional patriot act, & grant a myriad of executive order privileges that circumvent the democratic process! So, please be angry at US politics & vote on issues, not simply along parties. Best regards
How much does he spend on the cigarettes?
Absolutely agreed!
Poverty in Sweden is also on the increase for pensioners
Same as in Japan
Rickard Johansson the reason is because the government has to pay for millions of “war refugees”
Anony Mouse I have seen by myself how hard is Sweden to pensioners;But Well Europe is expending billions in “war refugees” and we have some like 150 millions of Europeans who has no job...
Anony Mouse you've jyst described what's happening in Canada. Refugees get everything, Canadians get NOTHING
Our relatives in Sweden struggle, and they get annoyed when others from outside the country recieve new expensive prams and the pensioners struggle
Sad , because instead of the senior resting and relaxing they go out and still work for pennies ..
Pennies? the man said he could collect over 200 Euros in 4 days, that's like 300 dollars US and he even has a car!! that's not real poor in most places
If you want to relax ask your kids if you can stay with them. No kids? Keep working or save up smart while you can. Get to work old folks
nothing is sad. People like this soak up their youth times thinking about themselves only. And then cry in their old age. I mean what the hell was he doing when he was young ? And dont give me that BS that he was just depending on pensions to cover his ass later.
Not all older people are have good health or are fit enough to work and there may have been reasons they were unable to save for retirement. A wealthy country should help look after their citizens that are unable to provide for themselves.
Rosario Lejarzo still smoking cigarettes though. Can't be that poor. With a pet and give apartment. He lives better than half of America
Another great short doc, love being able to see how folks like this survive.
To be fair, this is kind of Herbert's side-hustle, living in a city with his reasonable rent I'd be ditching the car.
But from a different angle, when he talks about his love of the city he was born in, I can see that he really just loves to keep busy and explore the place he calls home.
He is obviously not used to riding a bicycle with a trailer attached...
I thought Germany did better than this, disheartening.
Makes me feel a bit better about the situation in slovenia, at least we're not the only ones with problems. Pensioners being unable to pay the bills raises the ''inability to pay utilites'' stat to an astonishing 12,4%.
It's bad here. Especially for a nation that ranks among the top 20 most developed in the world.
@@urbanoman7689 get Melanie to tell Donald Help!
High taxation put more people in poverty
@Homesteader Workouts Well there are some things left out. When your pension is to small the state gives you a lot. They almost pay the full rent for your flat, you don't have to pay for medical insurance, public transportation for people in pension is almost free in most countries within germany, the state even pays for a caretaker if you are imobile or have medical issues.
The reason why he is collecting bottles is not because he would die on the streets if he wouldn't. The reason is that when you are part of the "Grundsicherung" that's the states secure program for low income pensionist, they take 2/3 of all extra income through official jobs. It's a legal way to go around this system and still get the money from the state.
Reminds me of my grandparents. They collected bottles and cans when we first came to America. I remember going with them because I was small enough to be picked up to look into the big dumpsters. But they had the help of my parents. They weren't doing it to get by but to contribute to the family's income as a whole. They didn't speak English so that was their way of helping. Although it may seem like a hard life, I hope he takes pride in the fact that he's able to care for himself, even if it's a struggle at times.
If his adult child lived with him and shared the rent and food, it would be way lighter load for the both of them. In Asia, if your the parents are poor and the adult child is also poor, they pool together their resources. Going separate ways are harder. I saw a similar documentary about USA. The mum was living in a trailer and the adult child also struggling living somewhere else. Third world families have figured this out. And the once rich western nation in transition into poverty hasn't caught on; family pooling their resources.
Yes, but for how long ? Sad times for indigenous people, the old and the weak are the first to feel it.
the bottle man/scrapper/jitney in my neighborhood back in the day had more cash than anyone realized, until he finally died, the guy was a hustler. Turned out he really didn't need to do it, had a pension, he just wanted to keep busy after he retired and leave something behind for his family.
If you are releying on State help then you must declare all income that comes into your household. Its very probable that the State will reduce any benefits that person had just because somebody is living with him. Im aware of the Asian culture but its different in a lot of western countries. The state will always try and keep you as poor as they can.
Jane Smith, I am Asian and yes many Asians tend to live together and even have extended families. I guess that is the way things are in most third world countries as well and why being family-oriented thrives in poorer countries or generations ago when people were not individually wealthy. Sadly, as a country becomes wealthier, fewer and fewer people want to be part of a family and go their own way. Few people also marry and have children.
From Athens to Sydney to New York it happens all over the world
Eleni E whole world adopt capitalism... Even china, india, ussr..... So capitalism eat himself
You bright spark.
I wonder what his relationship is like with his daughter. They should share a place and help each other out if they get along.
Shannon KC from what I’ve experience the old are extremely stubborn and would rather do this than lose their independence
@@flowerpower3618 Yes, but this whole thing is nonsense anyways since he has enough money, just likes spending more.
This is what happens when Individuality becomes more important than society and family system breaks down.
the guy has problem with drinking or drugs or just with his head
@@taruntyagi4623
There's nothing wrong with individuality. Collectivist societies are repressive and regressive as F.
PAY him for his INTERVIEW...
Hey you funny" you said" pay him for interview" ja ja ja ja? Love you! God bless all of you" no matter who you are, take care" humanity" respect & peace
Wow, I was stationed in Germany and I never saw any garbage on the streets, was always so clean and for the elderly to have to do this is horrific!
Ditto. when I went to Hamburg in 1973 - NOT LIKE THIS. A SKILLED lifetime workman having to do this??? The corruption in Germany - really started with Merkel - is destroying the Country.
not a German and dont know weather i have a say or not but Germany dont be too liberal, respect and look after senior citizens. they dedicated their blood and sweat for country’s prosperity.
If you read his comment properly, he never said it was!
Sad. Same going on in USA with us commoners. Well filmed documentary.
This breaks my heart
Let’s not forget we all get old eventually, if we are lucky to live to be an old age.
That’s correct. Fight it now or this will be you.
Well, lots of working people in Germany earn same as this retired guy. Working full time!
All jobs for women are paid worse than Herbert's retirement. They need to marry a rich guy or they can never get their own apartment. Herbert is so lucky, only 450 per month for his apartment. If you need an apartment now you pay double as prices went skyrocket in Germany. Not enough apartments, too many people, too many people with low income.
Germany did change so much. We become Kalcutta now.
Been wondering whether getting old is being fortunate or unfortunate, I really don't have an answer for now.
I'd rather die early than live long and live this this. This isn't living. It's existing. I'd rather be dead.
jacob jacob ye will find out soon
That is so sad - poor people are embarrassed and ashamed to accept free food yet the rich get corporate welfare and free stuff all the time - they love it and ask for more.
Like bankers
citticat
The rich pleasure themsleves to documentaries like this one....
citticat2 if there hungry enough they will go.
Government taxes products , services you buy why increase poverty
Care for your parents at their old age as they care for you when you are little 😢
Despite everything, I like the man's stout dignity. And he says I can't complain!
I'm from Brazil and I got astonished with this video.
Here, we have a estereotype idea about Germany.
A very rich and prosperous country where everybody is happy and live very well.
A country that offers a very high standard of life such as safety, health care, a very effcient education system.
I do know there is no perfection BUT I never expected elderlies, retired people in Germany could face such a difficulty situation to survive.
this is what people think also about the US and other more wealthier countries
Ale Piscious i live in germany and im turkish if germany continues this path i will move to my home country turkey.
Not anymore ... Germany is getting poor.
you are lucky , you can be in Germany or turkey, if you was in US, you had more hard time,
x Z when did you move to germany ? How long have you been living there ?
I am 67 and disabled severely. There is no way I am able to do what this guy does. He should be thanking God for his health that allows him to traverse about collecting. He is luckier than most.
Now you should create a video on how much a refugee get per month
Pat li, your government is paying them back what they did to their countries.
Grow up!
Such a very saddening story. Makes you want to help him. I am 65 also. I can't imagine having to do this.
We should all take care of our senior citizens.
And this is how Europe's richest economy treats its elderly? Shocking.
They should be ashamed....No free cigarettes!
It is not Europe. Only some
countries. Not Switzerland.
Merkel take care of migrants
As opposed to America where we let them die in the streets freezing to death. :)
@@Gigacyy European triggered
If he quit smoking he wouldn't have to pick up bottles, he would save quite a bit from that alone
If he wants to save money he can start by not smoking. Cigarettes are expensive and really add up.
It’s his only pleasure I guess.
to give him the benefit of the doubt, the cigarettes could be leftovers that he has picked up, he should stop driving, i imagine money from the bottles would hardly pay for the fuel, it's a nonsensical activity, high cost to engage in low profit activity. i suspect he collects bottles so that it can be an excuse for keeping a car, a poor person should take public transport, he's still living beyond his means and not woke up.
I couldn’t agree more.
Financial education is something extremely useful for people of all age.
This also makes me wonder how he spent his youth.
Smoking is a very expensive vice, driving when you can take public transport which is probably discounted for retired people, owning a pet in Germany is something VERY EXPENSIVE as well, moving into a smaller flat with lower rent could be a solution. There are cost cutting solutions but it takes time to feel the difference, it doesn’t happen over night.
I am sorry but we should all save when we are young, as much as possible.
How about running a comparison to US retirees who only get 60% social security in comparison to what retirees in other countries get. Not to mention lack luster and very expensive health and pharmaceutical insurance. Yes, this is sad but the situation in the US is much worse.
I live in a third world country and Westerners will not like being a poor pensioner in my country. Things are becoming bad for old pensioners in first world countries but they are still a lot better off than old pensioners in third world countries. This German does not have to live on the street without a tent, just the pavement and some pieces of newspaper as mat and blanket. He even has a car and can take a bath. He still has not experienced eating spoiled food out of trash cans.
Haley Brown I think we have had just about all the "hope and change" we are going to tolerate.
Haley, why should we compare Germany and a country who runs by an orange man who deports children and separate them from their parents?
You can't compare Germany with a third world country
Haley Brown You're right about that Haley!
In Russia, after university I used to work as engineer for 350$, 150$ for rent, and 200 for a living. To work full time job and live in poverty is normal for Russians.
WAIT HOLD ON
25 cents for the bottle!?
im moving to Germany to collect bottles!
pretty standard in a lot of western european countries.. in denmark, depending on the bottle you can get 0,5 USD. For events and concerts some bottles are a whole dollar. People pay for it when they purchase it and the point is you then return it to get your money back. Encourages recycling.
Wow my grandfather was born in Gernany look now same as South Africa ...and I'm in South Africa
WithAStick AngryWhiteMan
Good old Vladimir came to the rescue of 10,000 SA farmers and offered them free land packages. The others who could afford to leave were taken in by Australia and the UK
this kind of thing happens in every country...
Indeed
so that makes everything OK then ?
Germany always used to look after their old age pensioners. It's the government under Merkle that has changed this.
@@nicolehandy690 UK used to be the same, you work all your life you pay into a pension scheme. Then in the late 80s and 90s the banks go bust business close down and they steal everyone's pension. It was an horrendous crime yet no one cared about the pensioners, those 2 decades made people so selfish.
@@dickcarpenter8947 No. It doesn't make it okay. It's just not isolated to Germany. My aunt in her 80s lives on a $1200 a month social security check. That's here in the US.
40 years as a teacher and my grandmother gets 250euro/mo, welcome to Europe.
doesnt europe have a work place saving scheme ????
Amazing and this is a more socialist country. In the US you get $400 just for disability and that’s if you didn’t even put into the system. Most retirees get $900-$1800 a month.
lol, don't know where this person lives in Germany, but where I live 250 euro a month is what you get if you worked zero years. If you had a 40 year career in teaching you would get more than 250 euros, I call BS on this Emilio Troll
@@HarryRacer18 No. Americans on disability get $800 month now even if they NEVER WORKED or paid into the system plus food stamps and Medicaid. They actually get more than MANY OF US WHO WORKED!!
@ No one shoots at me and I was born and raised in Texas. It seems the one's that get shot at are either using or selling drugs, into prostitution, thieves , or into gangs. If you lead a good life, and have a good family, life is ok.
At some point, one has to take responsibility for their actions. Like saving
for retirement might be a start.
We have the same situation here in the USA. That was kinda funny to hear him turning down the vegan options at the food bank, it’s nice to have the option. This guy has many doppelgängers here. A younger version of him stars in a show called ‘ it’s always sunny in Philadelphia’.
Shocking but eye opening thank you.
Stop sinning and turn back to Christ through the church of Jesus appointing his disciple , the church of Rome. Prosperity was there when there was Christianity.
Germany is still prosperous. Every country has poor.
if he move to czechia with this pension its pretty good retirement
exactly )) he lives in the conditions 90% of people in the world can just dream about , and can only be a achieved by an upper middle class in most of the countries.
So, how can they afford to take in refugees by the tens of thousands, if they have seniors and others who are barely making it, even with social supports? This man has worked and still works and he will likely never pull out of this situation, but he has a decent looking apartment and his needs are met, with assistance from charities.
If his adult child lived with him and shared the rent and food, it would be way lighter load for the both of them.
In Asia, if your the parents are poor and the adult child is also poor, they pool together their resources. Going separate ways are harder.
I saw a similar documentary about USA. The mum was living in a trailer and the adult child also struggling living somewhere else.
Third world families have figured this out. And the once rich western nation in transition into poverty hasn't caught on; family pooling their resources.
Thats not how they roll here in germany. they preffer to keep distance. Even my grandpa doesnt want to move into our family as its just to weird.
In Asia, it's becoming very westernized, individualistic/egotistical, too. There are many Asian countries that don't offer national pensions. With the tourism bringing many Europeans and Americans, the cost of living is increasing. The solution will be never rely on anyone or any government. Have to save while you can. Don't waste your income in drinking while you're young.
Jane Smith It will get worse because not so many young in the West are having families and government pensions are small.Private pensions are commonly based on the stock market which is good for a few years and goes bad.
They said she's struggling with poverty as well which most likely means she is getting at least a little bit of money. If they where to live together she'd get less money from the state because they then would have more income into the household.
The extended family unit isn't a comfortable situation in the west. Parents may not help their children with education even if they could and may insist kids move out without any help when they are 16 or 18. Age 18 is adult here. So later, children may not feel they owe their parents to help them in old age and may not have much of a relationship.
Really appreciate the essential meaning of this documentary report about senior citizen who's suffering from their life of being old. Young people must watch this. ❤️
One pack of cigarets is 6 Euro that is 42 Euro a week, 168 Euro a month. Quit smoking.
Wow man smokes are cheap, I'm moving to Germany .... They are twice that price in Canada, $16.85 CDN, difference is all taxes of course.
Poor gentleman. I wish I could afford to send him on his dream trip.
He's already been once. Maybe he should just keep his money at home and go to Hanover for a change of scenery. You know different immigrants..thanks Angela!
The old mans home looks like a castle compared to my apartment.
My room is 2×4.5m. Living in uk. At 41. Nobody cares.
Social housing.
So sadddd , but eye opining Thanks for sharing
Come the US. We literally have elderly living in the streets, in tents, and in their wheel chairs.
I was metering reading one day, an elderly homeless man was being confronted by a policeman in front of a church being told he had to leave the premises. This is in Boise Idaho. A relatively small city in a very low populated state. Larger cities its everywhere.
This is the result of globalization and return to robber baron oligarchy.
It will end the same as it has since the bronze age collapse... misery.
WE just have to make sure we advance through it as we had advanced beyond slavery, feudal serfdom, indentured servitude of mercantilism, and now this bogus concept of employee/employer.
Welcome to neofeudalism.
It's sad to say that the world actually needs another world War. Too many humans too little resources
@@johnwren3976 social democracy causes that, high taxes
Bernie Sanders is a moron like Richard wolf
@@coopsnz1 the US has a bigger homeless problem than europe, youre wrong about social democracy. It actually keeps millions from the street
At least he is exercising while doing all that bottle collection ...... he looks like he is in good shape :)
Not in good shape on the inside with all those stinking cigarettes! The public health system will be paying soon!
Germany should prefer to help its own people in the first place !
none of your business
If you say that in germany, you're called a nazi
There is something very wrong with that idea. Why can the country not shelter victims of war as well as its own poor ?
Just because someone had the luck of being born outside an imaginary line, does that mean they should suffer war and poverty ?
Part of the problem I think, is the stigma assosciated with taking money from the govt amongst the poor. Many consider it begging. I have a 72 year old German friend like that. He made ten thousand euros a month when he was working, but his poor management has resulted in his poverty now. He still refuses to take money from the state, and I and my mother secretly help him with train tickets, repairing his electronics, treating him to special meals, keeping him company etc. His has no family.
Germany doesn't give asylum to economic migrants anymore, since the last 3 years. That was partly why there was an increase in migrant crime like Cologne. Asylum seekers who were about to be deported were the ones who were likely to commit crimes, since they had no future here anyway.
So, right now Germany is focussed on War refugees. It should of course help all poor people within its borders.
I am a net taxpayer in Germany. I have contributed to the budget for the last 10 years, and I didn't take much from the system aside from 1 year of state University. I am happy that Germany looks out for the poor and helpless. I would rather my money be used for that rather than building arms and munitions or some stupid spy stuff and what not.
help him collect more bottles?'
I agree im glad i viewed this. I'm an American and I see whats happening in your country.
I always wonder what will become of the people who absolutely depend, daily, on this 'source of income'.
If the system were to change, I'm SURE that we will start seeing dead people lying on the streets.
welcome to corona time
A society will be judged by how they treat their young, old, and sick!
The UK has the LOWEST STATE PENSION in EUROPE except for GREECE.
vjab1108 and after Brexit it gonna be even worse
No it won’t make it worse
Paying for millions of people coming into the country with no skills and can’t even speak the language has taken its toll
With out these in the future there will be billions more money per year for the UK citizens
@@shaclo1512 How do you know that?
LMAO, you obviously haven't figured east of Germany into your map of Europe. Be happy, you would be the richest man in poland
because they subsidise EU pensions
this is so sad and he is so modest about his situation. the elderly should be cared for.
I lived in landstuhl, Germany for three years and I loved it there.
When I lived in Lewisburg a small Pennsylvania town I use to leave the metal can out for the fellows that looked through the trash on garbage days and they appreciated it by thanking me on the chance they seen me leave for work. A few years later got to work with one of the fellows and cemented that saying don’t judge someone till you walk in their shoes and I’m thankful to this day i haven’t.
I'm trying to figure out how he ended up like that. Being a welder is a well-paid job in Germany, pays up to 25 EUR/hour, sometimes even more. How did he end up with just 900 EUR/month pension? Something doesn't add up.
Taxes
welders make a lot of money in the USA too. my grandpa and two of my uncles did that for a living. my grandpa has just enough for most bills and medical expenses and that's it. one uncle died and the other one had to go on disability in his mid-50s because of the toll that welding had on his body. disability in the USA won't give you much and now they are trying to raise people's medical expenses since trump took over. if germany's pension system is like the USA's then it means that he must not have worked for that long as a welder. in the usa, you get a little bit taken out of your paycheck and that little bit goes to your pension when you retire. they call it social security. if you made a lot of money and always worked than you get a nice pension plan. if you didn't then i guess you're screwed.
probably live above his mean the whole life...
He was a welder, but it didn't say for how long, or whether he was also unemployed a lot during his life.
He is just a trainee.
Our pensions are based on the greater value of yesterday's moneys. They are not indexed to keep pace with increased cost of living brought about by the greed of the 1%
I feel sorry may brixit bring good things for you
He can afford a car and can afford to smoke. Which I can't.
A car in a society with excellent, inexpensive public transportation options. He also has an apartment. Things elders in the USA can only wish for.
@@johnwren3976 Public transport in germany is not inexpensive. It exists thats right, but not for a good price. The worst thing is, I often pay the same price for 50km as for 500km because local transport system mostly dont have any saving option (or tricks)
If you get rid of your car public transport is cheaper but using both its more expensive. Your car brings you and your luggage everywhere at any time and with passengers. Its much more comfortable.
And public transport is good in cities but in rural it could be much better (however I saw it worse in other countries).
I dont own a car anymore and its fine (as I'm very creative with combining different transporting options I even hitchhike when its faster on some routes), but it certainly could be better.
you can afford internet and computer I see
He has a beautiful outlook on life !!! I am retired and have a good pension but it's still hard to make ends meet and have a part time job to be able to live more comfortable. I do understand this lovely man, my heart goes out to him.
life become insanely expensive everything cost more than it's worth
to afford the rich 1% their lavish lifestyles
This is the truth.
Yes but look at all the electronics we think we need....
That's simply untrue. Definition of worth in capitalism: How much you can pay for something.
@@sharonndunge1933 Reach people in capitalism have much IQ, (I'm talking about biznesmens etc not Celebrits) . They use intellect to collect money. It's not sistem of oppression becouse you are bad at it.
Dont smoke that's a good start for saving money
Cigarette nicotine is more addictive than heroin, so simple isn't so simple.
You're obviously not a smoker or you would understand and when he started it was promoted as a healthy remedy for tuberculosis and stress.
My mother started smoking when she was recovering from TB as recommended by her doctor, please don't be so judgmental about something that you have no idea what is involved.
Dummer Kerl gibt Leute die Rauchen und sammeln ihren Tabak aus Müllbehälter von Supermärkten
He needs to smoke so that he can shorten his life, to hell with healthy living if I have to struggle like that just to survive.
Actually he needs to go back to work! He all out does that now.
@Ben Benjan His car is very old. He needs it for the bottles he collects.
Good for him. Society is full of hope if you're willing to work for it. My parents used to get around on bicycles they bought from the Salvation Army. That being said, we really need to take care our old, or at least have a system/financial education to prevent them from going to despair when they really should be enjoying the rest of their years
there are a lot of binners in vancouver. most are old but some are homeless guys in their 30s. sucks to be in their sittuation but i ahve a lot of respect for them. working hard for little money instead of being a beggar. hope all these people turn their life around.
Same problem for seniors in Canada
Can still afford to chain smoke at European prices. Hmmm.?
Pretty much same as New Zealand when you do the conversion
With EUR900 per month, he can retire comfortably in vietnam, thailand or cambodia.
thebugbud here the life is very expensive.
Here in Kenya he's got enough to live like a king and even finance a politician running for a public office.
I am a legal immigrant who work and live in the US for 30yrs so far. God's grace I have another 10yrs to work and when I retire, I am going back to my country and live off my pension and my 401K . Hopefully I get 3.500 per month when that time comes.
But he won't make so much from bottles when he has moved to Serbia.
Thailand..not so much these days. To get a retirement Visa there you need 800,000 baht ($25,000 U.S.) a year or 65,000 baht a month...it's getting harder. Vietnam and Cambodia much easier.
What will happen to him when he is no longer physically fit enough to look for bottles? Heart-breaking.
The same thing happens here in Australia.
Left policy high taxes= less savings for seniors. It was moron Bob Hawke 80s introduced capital gains tax
Cities aren't that expensive, apart from housing costs.
He smokes ready made cigarettes which must cost him over 40 euros a month.
He isn't at pension age yet, so he's probably on benefits/welfare.
As poverty goes, he's not doing that bad.
I don't think you've chosen a representative example of a poor German pensioner.
40 a month? a pack costs 6 euros. I doubt he smokes less than 2 packs a week.
Such a great documentary & heartbreaking. I can possibly see myself ending up like Herbert 😢
It's truly so sad as people become old and rely on their hard worked pension. Yet they unable to relax even a bit. Above being lonely makes matters worst. This shouldn't be their fate. Always there are generous people who help so much . Thanks to their kindness.
That old German guy Herbert smokes, smoking is very expensive in Germany..!! Jimmy
I'm very ashamed seeing this old guy looking for bottles to cash in just to make ends meet. This man is German I AM BRITISH.
Billy Jay here in USA going back to 1960s and 1970s I'd collect soda pop bottles for fun then cash in for .10 cents a bottle. This stopped long time ago probably in 1980s when manufacturers started using plastic bottles for soda pop.
But he can afford a car! He pays next to nothing for his apartment in one of the most expensive cities in Europe.
He can afford cigarettes for 5 euro per 19 cigarettes.
Working people struggle for rent in any cheaper city and cannot afford a car.
Billy Jay We have poor penshioners all over England.
he probably launched V2 rockets into Lomdon im ww2
yahataru, He wasn’t even born yet!
He is still better than retirees in many other countries though.
He still has a place to go back to at night. Still, it should not be like this in a first world country.
Someone get that man some gloves lord knows what kind of people are drinking from those bottles
Look at the bright side, he seem to have enough to keep smoking while complaining about the inadequacy of his guaranteed monthly allowance from the tax payer. Isn't the world a wonderful place?
If he's so broke why is he smoking?
Because it's addictive dummy.
If he would move to eastern european country like for example Poland, he'd have quite good living for 900 euro. This kind of money in PL is more than average salary.
a glimpse into our own futures
in that case, start collecting bottles now!
yours maybe
this is germany one of the worlds richest countries and its like that
Absolutely terrible
here's a top tip. Not so few German pensioners move to Hungary as they can afford a normal life there. I spoke to one in my last holidays there. He said that with his 1200€ pension, which isn't quiet that bad compared to others with rent he couldn't life very well in Germany but in Hungary he's a rather well situated men with this money. Healthcare is also very cheap so he said that this was the perfect move for him as an ''old guy''. He can even afford a car with this money.
He spends at least 10 euros per day on cigarettes, so he basically collects bottles to feed his habit. He gets unlimited food shopping for just 2 euros ...
thereeeeeeeeeeeee someone said it, he has 900 per month, THAT IS MORE THAN ENOUGH!!
What a nice man. He is correct when he says some are worse off then him. He pushes on...kind of sad but also kind of hopeful.
I ve always thought that behind all squaky lights, Germany is a sad nation
Switzerland too they eat mostly pasta
WTF...? Switzerland has GDP per Capita of $84000
We over sixties in UK had seven years pension money stolen by the govt and have been told to re train for work LOL 😁 what a joke I found a job part time and every day I walk past beggars one third my age who ask me for money. I don't have it. I offered a guy good food I didn't have for lunch but he wanted money. I have one child who lives and works ten thousand miles from me. I have older sisters who think it's funny that I have been treated so shabbily and they have not; so I don't even talk to them now. I have never claimed off the state and never will I'd rather die oh well I guess that exactly what the UK politicians want shame on the lot of them.
@Lee Turner The world and its politicians are so corrupted by big companies and billionaires who earn capital incomes. By corrupting and lobbying politicians they avoid paying enough taxes.
u can do it'🤗🤗greeting from Indonesia
your god sees everything ,,good luck
then carry on grinding while others enjoy the benefits
Did you have a 401k plan in your country?
Oh my god Germany this is so sad ...But so much like the UK the old and disabled are being left in the gutter Literally as our Governments are busy looking after thousands of refugees..... it's Sick and something has to change...☹️
@@bellamc6108 it has everything to do with refugees, if a state spends money on refugees less money is left for welfare. Money doesn't appear magically.
@@neel9137 money comes from united nation for refugees not our pocket. In UK, your country was getting it's wealth from other countries for free for years and made those people suffer for years and you lived in comfort but now they are getting their independence back and you becoming worse off. That's the only reason. Imagine what happens when they all do that.
You country had it's nose every where and that's why you have those people in your country now.
It's very sad what UK did to other country like India, South africa ........ and even my country. They created conflice and unstability and policed the country. You are famouse for your policy. Please look at your history and what you have done to others. When i was young i saw a movie about South Africa and the hills of dead African body who where fighting to get their country back from you. That's an example. People from my country are here for different reason. For 50 years you got our oil for free and probably sold it to other countries too. And as i explained above changed our govornment cause we wanted to increase the price of the oil as you increased the price of the food we imported. Your govornment is still supporting our nasty govornment even though they know what they are doing to us and our country. Please read your history and see why people are here. Help us to bring peace in the world so that we all stay safe in our own country or beside each other. Have a good day my dear.
It's a question of choice. The state chooses how much to spend on welfare, how much on defense, how much on tax reduction for the rich, how much to pay to persuade manufacturers to set up in their city, how much tax on alcohol, fuel, luxury goods. A city like Hamburg has higher rents. 900€ is reasonable, standard for pensioners in Europe, but 450 on rent for a large apartment is too much for Herbert to afford. He could pay half that for a smaller place. Or the government could arrange for housing benefit, or cheaper public housing (council housing), a one bedroom flat. Rather than a prestigious Opera House. Or as well as, why not? Give unemployed builders a job. And the rents would go towards the cost of keeping them, if well designed.
We're living in a capitalist society where shareholders want high returns on the investment of their surplus money - so costs are high. It's not about refugees. In Germany, 'gast-arbeiters' guest-workers, live 20 to a Nissan hut, a dormitory, with a gas ring at one end, toilet and shower at the other. All male, workers in factorirs, or agriculture, sending a little spare cash home to families in northern Africa, eastern Europe, it's always been like that. Marginals buy second hand luxury cars, export them to sell in other countries, France, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, where they cost more. Or else smuggle tobacco etc. There are wheeler dealers who get by. But honest folk don't. If Herbert had paid for a private pension when working, he'd get double what.he has now. But the young don't always plan ahead.
Choices, not children, make poverty. We need to campaign for fair distribution and more support. It suits the system to have unemployment and poverty as a motivational Force for wealth generation and self interest, the driver's of capitalism
Ignorant
@@bellamc6108 It has everything to do with refugees, we lack housing, we lack doctors and dentists, we lack hospitals we don't have the infrastructure to look after them. Companies are using agency workers and these agencies are like gangsters hiring out cheap labour with no come back or contract, you get hurt or injured at work you are just sacked and replaced, you don't work for below the the minimum wage your sacked. Refugees have upto 20 - 30 people living in one house, the landlords know and charge huge rents they also fix the gas and electric meters to exploit them has much as possible. This has serious health problems and could lead to a serious outbreak of typhoid or flu which a overstretched health system cannot deal with and millions will die.
Sad to see this. I hope when I get to his age, my government will appreciate my contributions to my country and help me when I’m in need.
Keep posting-WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
I see Merkels priorities at work here
you dont know a first thing about economy and you still think you are entitled to an opinion . to pay old peoples retirement , you need young ones who work . herberts generation didn't have that many children . the increase in productivity can not pay for it all given the increase in expectation . dude has a home , a car , a tv and is still "poor" . so either you suck it up or people have to come into the country and work . emigration is not just a white mans right . Merkel does the best she can and idiots like you who dont know half of it , pass judgment. do you even know what an age pyramid is ?
+asrafoo Trump build the wall. Ill happly poor more taxes. Im so happy Trump our President of The United States of America. Won.
+asrafoo stay in your country please we dont need your help. nor do i want to give up more of what I a half black half white man. has to take away my Repulic owes its true citizens.
asrafoo 'dude' lol
asrafoo well said
In Brockton,Mass., during the great Depression, my grandmother and I would go out at dawn on Saturdays and Sundays, We had two big paper shopping bags, We picked up beer and liquor bottles that she sold to bootleggers for refilling, during Prohibition. This was probably her private spending money, Our best picking spot was under a railroad overpass, where a lot of drunks congregated, and left their bottles.Tough as things were then, I was always treated to a few of my favorite candy bars,'Chicken Dinner', every week. They were very similar to the later candy bar 'Powerhouse', the 4 oz. bar, the original 'Quarter Pounder', as the ads proclaimed. Only 5 cents!